Skate Park planned for Valley Gardens, Harrogate 26 Jan 2010
26 January 2010
The success of temporary skate parks during the school holidays last year has led Harrogate Borough Council to a rethink about providing a permanent facility in the town's Valley Gardens.
The proposal last week received broad support from the recently formed Friends of the Valley Gardens.
The council has identified £140,000 for a skate park and BMX facility should the council's cabinet approve it on 3 February and subject to any necessary planning permission.
Councillor Richard Cooper, Acting Leader and Cabinet Member for Cultural Services has put his support behind the new facility.
He said:
"This has been a long drawn out saga.
Whilst we were supportive of a skate park, we were never going to be able to please everyone about where it should be located.
The temporary skate parks in the Valley Gardens went down extremely well last year.
Indeed, one resident from Valley Drive wrote to the paper to say how nice it was to see children enjoying it.
"It is obvious that skate boarding isn't a fad that is going to go away and I think the time is right for us to seriously consider adding to the play facilities in the Valley Gardens.
"Valley Gardens now has the benefit of infra-red CCTV coverage which gets us across some of the earlier hurdles.
I am pleased to say that some of the money has come from community safety grants and we will take seriously any complaints about misuse."
The council has previously carried out a number of consultations over finding a site for a permanent skate park.
Consultation on this proposal will come via the planning application to site the facility alongside the tennis courts.
This means that all play activity equipment is in one area of the gardens and will not encroach on the more open green spaces.
It would be hoped to have the facility in place before the end of the year.
ENDS
Further information is available from: Councillor Richard Cooper on 01423 705074 or 07957 844389.
Further technical information is available from Mr Patrick Kilburn, Head of Parks and Open Spaces on 01423 841106.
Media contact:
Lynne Mee, Communications and Media Manager, 01423 556022 email
lynne.mee@harrogate.gov.uk or
mobile 07525 987921 or 07884 226409.