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Skaters' hopes for park approval
DISAPPOINTED youngsters who missed out when plans to build a new skatepark were put on hold last month hope the go-ahead for the scheme will be granted tonight.
Irthlingborough’s Ramps4All group, which has members ranging from seven-year-old children to adults in their 30s, has raised 3,500 in the past two years towards its 80,000 dream to create a concrete skatepark area and bowl in the central recreation ground in Scarborough Street.
But the group feared it would not secure the rest of the money from funding organisations without planning permission – and was upset when East Northamptonshire Council’s planning committee deferred making a decision on its proposals in July over fears about anti-social behaviour and site safety.
Ramps4All member Daniel Reynoldson, 18, of Irthlingborough, spoke out in favour of the scheme at the council’s last meeting.
He said: “At the moment all we have to skate on are the streets, which is looked on as being anti-social.
“The new skatepark will give us a safe place to skate and it will take us away from the streets. We’ve spent about two years raising funds.”
Since the meeting the district council’s planning officers have contacted the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) to get guidance about the safety of concrete skateparks.
A RoSPA spokesman said: “All skateparks will be high risk because of the nature of activities but will still be safer than any other place young people might use skateboards.”
Planning committee members have also visited the site and Rushden’s recent skateboard festival to help them understand what the proposals would mean.
Councillors have been advised by their planning officers to approve the plans but have been told they could make the group show them evidence the park meets new British standard regulations for skateparks before it is opened.
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Weather for Kettering
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 25 C
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Wind direction: East
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