News

Skate park proposal deemed 'a disaster'

By Nick Edmondson
November 09, 2012

A NEW skate park in Aldershot will be a ‘disaster’ and could lead to violent confrontations, nearby residents have warned.

Rushmoor Borough Council appears set to give the green light to its own application to install a new skate park at the north end of Manor Park.

However, residents of nearby Eggars Court are calling for the application to be rejected, claiming it will cause an increase in antisocial behaviour.

Chris Myles, who lives in the estate, said residents feel that their concerns have been ignored as the council has already made its decision.

He said: “This will ruin the environment we live in. The councillors just want to get this place built but they don’t actually have to live with it.

“We saw it all when we had the last skate park. That was a problem anyway. Now the council is just moving it closer to us. It will be a nightmare.”

The council removed the original skate park at the start of the year, claiming it was old and unsafe.

The site had seen repeated complaints from the nearby Campbell Fields development, including several clashes between skaters and residents.

An application was then made to move the site 70m closer to Eggars Court and was almost approved before it was revealed that residents of the area had not been sufficiently consulted.

A second application was made on July 30 following consultation, but this was halted when it was revealed that the site could encroach on bats using the park’s trees. A third application was registered on October 12, with the position of the skate park turned 90 degrees and a proposal for an earth embankment on its north and south sides.

Mr Myles, who has been nominated as a spokesman by residents of the development aged over 60, said: “The changes made by the council will make no difference whatsoever. It will be an absolute disaster and be every bit as bad as the problems they had at the last site.

“They seem to be showing some concern over disturbing bats and damaging trees, but are paying no concern to the damage that it will cause to the quality of life for some residents.

“We have spoken to members of the council about our concerns and they made us feel like we were being listened to. This looks like they haven’t been listening to us at all.

“A number of our residents’ bedrooms will be looking out directly on this thing, which will have floodlights as well.

“We have already had problems in the area. We have had youngsters urinating 60 metres away, defecating and fornicating. The language they use is absolutely disgraceful, I wouldn’t speak like that on a building site.”

Although the council will discuss the application this week, consultation is still open until November 14, when committee chairman, Cllr Alan Jackman, will decide whether any significant new points have been raised since the meeting to change the decision.

Cllr Mike Roberts said the council’s ‘mismanagement’ of the skate park and its positioning was “the council’s cross to bear”.

“The council has never really engaged with the young people of the area about the situation,” he said. “We are hearing complaints about youngsters skating on the Heroes’ Shrine and riding bikes on the steps of the new Morrisons. They say that they have no other facilities.

“Yes the young people have a responsibility to respect residents, but they have been poorly treated by this council.”

The council’s planning officers have recommended that permission be granted.

The officers’ report states: “In the circumstances it is considered that the proposal would have no material adverse implications for the general amenity or the living conditions of nearby residents.”

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It will create another outlet for drug dealers.

The Snake Charmer., Slanic Moldova
13/12/2012 at 16:06

Shots1 Farnham,

The message to RBC is do the job properly in the first place and don't try and cut corners if you want to make it a success.

This is why I stated Hi Resolution Cameras WITH Night Vision in my previous post.

Also CCTV monitoring should be 24 hrs. a day if it is to be any real use in catching people in the act for any type of crime.

Dawi, Aldershot
17/11/2012 at 12:57

@ UKR & Dawi - CCTV is being installed and as I assume when the new skate park gets built it is a stipulation that CCTV is working prior to the skate park being officially opened. However as having inside information on the old CCTV around the old skate park then as with RBC the CCTV will only work during the day and not at night when all the main issues occur.So in effect being morealess useless as it will only be mainly monitoring the kids that are doing what the skate park is there for.Enjoying themselves. Msg to RBC, Doh!!!!

Shots1, Farnham
15/11/2012 at 15:56

@ Dawi, Aldershot You are bang on the money, it will be great for serious skate boarders as serious accidents could be spotted, the only people not to like it is the idiots who will cry about their human right to cause mayhem being abused.

UKR
15/11/2012 at 13:49

@TSR, Ok, I exaggerate the point I'm making - which is that a lot of tolerance is made for other sporting communities which are also known for, err, 'issues' from time to time. Apologies for allowing my frustration to direct my train of thought.

I do agree ENTIRELY that skateparks attract problems - I myself was the victim of theft at the Farnborough skatepark, which is a stones throw from the Police station (now sorted and the culprits were correctly dealt with by the local authorities), So I am fully aware issues, whatever they are, naturally surround an unsupervised area designed for youth congregation, no matter what it's original intent.

If things were done properly, an indoor unit needs to be bought/rented by the council with a PAY TO USE park being created. Many years ago Farnborough Sports Center had a skatepark inside it for about a week and it was absolutely packed the whole time. It would take longer to find funding, longer to find a location and a tougher job to run with staff required and insurance to worry about - BUT - the end result would be a contained, easily policed, safe and clean environment for skaters/riders to use all year round, rather than just 'when its dry' like the usual parks are (..need a remind people of our weather issues!). It's never going to be profitable, but will do away with the issues being faced. We have a specially built, indoor tennis facility nearby - and if I were to use my local area as a demographic - there are a whole lot more BMX riders/Skateboarders than tennis players - I'd be willing to bet vital parts of my anatomy on it.

Kirky86
14/11/2012 at 20:00

To throw an Idea in to the melting pot.

It seems that there is now some consensus that: 1. There is a need for the Skate Park. 2. That it is not the “legitimate” users of the park that are the problem. 3. That the Anti-Social Behaviour when it takes place happens "after hours".

The solution to the problem would be to put in Hi-Resolution CCTV with Night Vision. It could monitor the site day and night without the need to floodlight the area thus reducing disturbance to local residents, and if ASB is taking place the Monitoring Centre can request the Police to attend.

Dawi, Aldershot
14/11/2012 at 18:01

@UKR. Yes you are absolutely right in what you say and we have worked with the Police providng photographic evidance of all the issues.Suffice to say since the old Skate Park has been dismantled it is a fact that the issues experienced have ceased to exist and the area is much more pleasant place to live in. However I totally accept that a skate park is required and as I have 2 children of my own, one of whom loves skootering or what ever the in word is I accept that they need some where to do it. I think the old location was just too near Manor Walk and was easy for the Moped (hairdryer) riders to cause commotion along with all the other drunks and God knows what as the access through Campbell Fields was far too easy.

Shots1, Farnham
14/11/2012 at 12:10

@ Shots1, Farnham Ok so it is not the Skate Park users and it is after hours idiots. It is down to locals to work with their neighbourhood police team to get it sorted. log the times and dates that problems occure that lets the police know the times they have to target. Photos, most digital camara's have a time and date function plus a musium no flash setting. you cannot leave it for the police to do all the work they do need a little help and your evidence justifies the cost of taking action. BlisteringBarnacles! , is correct most teenagers are a friendly bunch and will repond if spoken to. It is just the idiots that need dealing with and they are best left to the police

UKR
13/11/2012 at 23:17

It absolutely infuriates me as a local resident that these comments are always deemed to respond to blaming the GENUINE Skate Park users as the main culprits for all the ASB that goes on.Please may I put on record that the actual users who use it for its purpose have never been the issue.I put on record it's all the IDIOTS who turn up after the genuine users have left that we complain about. I would suggest that all the genuine users of the Skate Park wind their necks in and actually read what is being said.I personally understand the need for a Skate Park.Yes I would like it moved to a different location but if not then ok ,lets live with it. Please when responding can we understand what is being said.

Shots1, Farnham
13/11/2012 at 13:02

@Hippo: Teenagers got talent

BlisteringBarnacles! , Sheffield / Farnborough
12/11/2012 at 23:59

Wow! "urinating, defecating, fornicating" ....on a skateboard? Now that is a skill! and at the same time!!

Hippo
12/11/2012 at 17:39

These claims of young people "urinating, defecating, fornicating" (sounds like the new political buzz-slogan) sound to me very much like the spurious claims of Nepalese women squatting in the street, most probably based on little more than hearsay and prejudice. If the '3 ings' really do happen, they are not likely to be representative of the actions of the majority. We teenagers aren't the feral animals that many in society and the media try to make us out to be.

Many times when I have encountered people of the older generations in the street, they have looked like they are afraid of me. I'm not especially tall, don't look scary and certainly don't behave in a boisterous or threatening manner in public but still I can see fear in their eyes or body language. I think many people must not look at the person; they just see a teenager and automatically think "Scary hooligan". I'm not saying that all young people are model citizens because that is clearly not true but you shouldn't generalise behavioural traits to such a large group.

Going back to the matter in hand, the only complaint of the residents that I can see has serious ground is the potential for large amounts of light pollution intruding into people's homes.

BlisteringBarnacles! , Sheffield / Farnborough
12/11/2012 at 16:29

Nor is skateboarding

UKR
12/11/2012 at 15:03

Kirky86, what fights and riot police? I honestly cannot remember the last time either of these two happened and I can't remember the last time I didn't attend a game either so I think if there were fights and riot Police I would notice. Watching football is not a crime.......................

TSR
12/11/2012 at 11:35

What? Seriously? They complain about that - yet I'm sure half of them are down at Aldershot football ground mixed in with the fights and riot police that are there week in week out. One rule for one....