THE launch of a £117,000 splash park at Coate Water has been postponed indefinitely, due to the hosepipe ban.

The feature was meant to have replaced the dilapidated paddling pool but it will now be delayed for up to a year as it cannot be filled with water.

The long-awaited play facility is nearing completion and was expected to have been ready for the summer.

With a severe drought on the horizon the council has also had to halt plans to plant hundreds of trees and flowers.

Coun Derique Montaut (Lab, Central) said: “The paddling pool had been thoroughly neglected and run down and we waited a long time for this to happen.

“Coate Water has been under-funded and under-developed for years and it’s very disappointing that this has been put back.

“However,we still need to look at something suitable for youngsters in the area in the absence of the splash park. What that is needs to be determined.

“The setback shouldn’t stop us from continuing to try and find ways to make one of Swindon’s oldest country parks a truly wonderful place to go.”

When the splash park does open it will feature water play equipment installed on a safety surface, which can be removed during the winter months.

It will be free, with open access to all, including children with mobility impairments.

The current staffing associated with the paddling pool would no longer be required, meaning the project would deliver a saving of £20,000 a year and cover its costs in six years.

Swindon Borough Council leader Coun Rod Bluh (Con, Dorcan) also expressed disappointment.

“It’s a big disappointment for everyone involved,” he said. “Clearly, the water situation is such that it doesn’t look as if it’s going to happen this year.

“Nobody knows when it will go ahead. We are talking about months and months of rainfall before the levels are up to the point where this can take place, we are not talking about a few showers.

“The order is pretty draconian and makes it clear that this kind of project is not going to be able to go ahead.”

The splash park is part of a council plan to improve access and quality at parks, open spaces and the countryside.

A programme of work at Coate Water, including the new installation, began last year and was scheduled for completion in 2014.

Coun Bluh said: “I think we all need to accept droughts come along every now and again and that water is a big issue, especially with climate change.

“There will still be non-water activities available but where this is concerned we need to be very careful and not take any chances. “ The hosepipe ban came into force on Thursday. The move, announced by Thames Water makes it a criminal offence to use a hosepipe for most jobs, such as watering gardens and washing the car, although using watering cans and buckets of tap water is still legal.

The Environment Agency has warned of severe drought in the coming months as groundwater levels in the region are approaching the lowest levels ever recorded.