A certain controversy has followed plans for a new replacement skate park for Morley. Initially we found the funds for an upgrading programme after a lot of hard work and lobbying and a set of plans was published in the Morley Ob. People were given an opportunity to comment on the proposals and sets of plans were placed in both the Library and at Morley Town Hall.
Two young skaters took away the plans and proposed quite a radical re-working of the proposals which would seen a new, fully concrete cast skate park - a smaller (much smaller!) version of the one at Woodhouse Moor. This was proposed as an alternative to the original plan which proposed re-using much of the present equipment and adding an additional concrete bowl and teen shelter. This proposal was one we were going out to tender for but I was visited by a mother of a skater who confirmed that they had a preference for the original plan and could all work be stopped!
Work was stopped while a meeting was held between the two different parties about the options for a consensus view. This did not seem possible so a final consultation event is to be held over the next fortnight or so where everyone who is interested can examine both plans, plus others from Garforth and Woodhouse Moor to see what the wider skating community wants.
The final decision on the layout has to be theirs as most Councillors - me included - don't know one side of a skateboard from the other and it is important that the skate park users make their views known.
At this point there is no way of knowing which of the plans is the more likely to succeed. What I can say is that the final programme will reflect the wishes of as many local skaters as possible - even if full consensus cannot be achieved.
Look out for the details of the consultation meeting on this blog as soon as the date becomes fixed.
It is nice to see local people being asked about what they want from a local project.
ReplyDeleteI hope this example is followed for other projects.
Keep up the good work.