Skate park battle ends in victory (From Gazette & Herald)

Skate park battle ends in victory

YOUNGSTERS who live in Kirkbymoorside are celebrating after the long-running wrangle over their controversial skateboard park ended in victory.

Ryedale District Council's planning committee gave the £70,000-plus park in the Old Road playing field the green light last night after a lengthy debate. But while the children and their parents, backed by Kirkbymoorside Play Association, sent letters to the committee pleading with councillors to give retrospective approval to the venture, there were objections from some neighbours.

Coun Brian Maud said he had visited a house close by and even with the windows open he had difficulty hearing any noise from the skateboarders. There were two objections from households at least 100 metres away, but none from the five living much closer to the park, he said.

Jo Towler, of the play association, said: "We did consult widely on the skatepark. Public meetings were held and well attended and all houses were leafleted. Nearby residents were also asked if they would like us to visit them, but we received no response."

She added "The skate area has been built in a field which is dedicated to young people's play and has been for 50 years.

"This is a much-needed facility which has been planned and developed with strong support from the community and the town council. "

The group got further backing from Coun Helen Schroeder, who said: "It is a fantastic facility and the youngsters and the association are to be applauded for getting the funding."

She believed there may only be a noise problem from the park on hot summer evenings if neighbours had their windows open.

Coun Joan Taylor suggested a 10pm "curfew" but was told by chief planning officer Gary Housden that it would be almost impossible to enforce.

Coun Howard Keal said that on a recent visit the young people had been demonstrating their skateboarding skills. "It is clearly needed and appreciated. Their behaviour was exemplary - no graffiti or litter was to be seen." However, he suggested that a "stone-picking party" should be held to remove what he described as "potential ammunition for anti-social behaviour".

Councillors were told that the police and family GP Dr Tim Thornton backed the park because it would provide the youngsters with a much-needed activity. Dr Thornton said: "I have difficulty understanding why people would attempt to close it down and push youngsters back to their television or PC or encourage them to hang about on the streets with nothing to do."

However, there were strong objections from Jim and Sandie Dowkes, of Howe Garth, Old Road. They claimed that "extremely late hours" were being kept at the park by the youngsters. They said they had returned home at the weekend to find stones strewn in front of their garage door and house windows. They claimed they had been thrown by skaters "who appear to be bored with skating or maybe just annoyed because we are in disagreement with the location of the park".

Councillors asked officers to negotiate with the play association on a landscaping scheme and possibly noise reduction measures.

Mr Housden said that a method of reducing the noise with a certain material had been investigated but it was found to be inflammable.

A fresh bid to win a change in a planning condition restricting sales of craft goods to be sold at the planned new visitor centre at Spit House Farm, Staxton, has failed. The owner, Alan Honeybell, wanted to have a 50-50 split between goods made on site and others which could be made elsewhere and sold at the centre, which, he says, is likely to cost £500,000 to build.

But Coun Philip Huntington said if the change was allowed, it would move the centre away from the concept of showing craft people at work.

But Coun Linda Cowling said: "I can't see how this can be done without supplementing the items for sale. A lot of rural crafts will be lost if we don't provide facilities for them. The centre will be a tourist attraction."

Updated: 14:47 Wednesday, February 16, 2005