An specialist outdoor exercise area for the elderly and vulnerable has been approved in Rutland.

Dr Mary Hardwick of St Mary's Road, Manton, has received planning approval from Rutland County Council to create a Covid-19 'Rainbow Trail' in a grazing field to the west of St Mary's Road in the village.

Dr Hardwick sought temporary planning permission for change of use for a period of 6 years of 450m2 of a larger grass field immediately adjacent to the Rural Pursuit Centre car park.

Her aim is to provide an enclosed 90m "T" shaped wooden decking walkway with social distancing markers and "safe" sitting areas.

Fence posts and/or rails would be sited immediately adjacent to the walkway at regular intervals to enable attachment of (removable) exercise equipment for strength, balance

and coordination exercises.

The facility would be designated specifically for use by vulnerable, older or disability people and for NHS Exercise Referral within Rutland, she told the council.

A report by Rutland Council planning officers noted much support for the project, with nearby residents praising Dr Hardwick for 'working tirelessly' to help her patients.

The said the trail would help with their remedial exercises, especially while indoor gym exercises are not allowed at present, which people have been missing.

The outside exercise, which would be supervised, would help the vulnerable and disabled, they said.

The council report noted the scheme would be small in nature and set back from a main road and would have no immediate neighbours.

Approving the scheme, it added the scheme would have no unacceptable adverse impacts on residential amenity, but as requested, the permission would expire on June 22 2026 and the walkway and related equipment would have to be removed.