Village set to give go-ahead on skate park

Plans for a new skate park have been circulating the village for the last two years but now it looks as if the scheme will finally get the go-ahead.

The parish said it has the money and has had a favourable reaction to a recent scheme it proposed, and which was discussed with villagers.

John Matthews, parish council chairman, said: "Sherston is a bigger village than a lot of others in the area.

"There are quite a number of teenagers who live in Sherston and they are an age group for which we have not done very much.

"We have just opened a new playground which has been very well received and there are sports clubs such as tennis and cricket. A modest skate board facility will hopefully fill the gap between those two."

Costing between £17,000 and £18,000, the skate park will be made from concrete because it is safer and quieter than other materials.

The project will be funded by the parish and North Wiltshire District Council.

The skate park proposed for the village is described as a 'street scene' and has a series of rails and ramps.

Mr Matthews said: "Concrete is quite expensive but it scored well in our investigations on the ground of safety and noise."

Other larger towns such as Malmesbury and Chippenham have so far failed to build a permanent skatepark.

A fear in the village is that the skate board park could attract youth from around the region.

Mr Matthews said he hopes the right balance has been struck between a scheme that gives teenagers what they want but will not attract groups of youths from all over the South West.

"It is not going to have half pipes 20 feet tall," he said.

"It is going to be a more modest set-up but it is something we can add to if it is acceptable locally and to the young of the village.

"I believe in some other places the skate boarders have raised some money, and it is possible there could be a stage two, but that depends on how stage one goes."