Fury at axing of Cromer skatepark

27 November 2009

Townsfolk at Cromer have vented their anger at the scrapping of plans for a skate and BMX park.

But council officials who announced the reluctant decision have defended the reasons behind it.

They have confirmed however that the opposition to the suggested site, and tight timescale on funding, means a skatepark at the resort has been ruled out for the foreseeable future.

As reported in last week's News, a scheme for a wheeled park at Happy Valley was dropped because of the level of local opposition.

Officials feared the stalemate could see the £50,000 pot of money lost before it was snatched back by a national play park fund in the spring - so decided to look at spending it on another project at North Walsham.

A council officer said the main problem was the fears expressed by residents of the neighbouring Kings' Chalet Park about anti-social behaviour from youngsters using the planned park, which he felt were overstated and nimbyism.

And a spokesman for the play fund said the concerns were hysterical and a witch hunt against young people.

Locals have been angered both by the decision and the remarks and actions of those officials.

Cromer mayor Hilary Thompson, who is personally in favour of the park, said she was “cross” it had not happened, and hoped a site could be found soon.

And a flurry of letters to the News include town councillor and Labour party spokesman for North Norfolk Phil Harris who said there were other more suitable sites and felt it was the “inflexible” council which was exhibiting "anti social behaviour."

Others vented their feelings at the chalet park, whose manager last week denied they were hysterical and simply elderly residents concerned about the peaceful location being spoiled.

Dr Henry Gee found it “shocking that the elderly residents of the King's Chalet Park, who do not live in Cromer, should have the final say in dictating what goes on in our community, in which the needs of the young deserve as much attention as those of anybody else.”

And Sea Scout group leader Diane Skipper resented “the implication our Beavers, Cubs and Scouts would indulge in anti-social drug taking and under age sex."

North Norfolk District Council health improvement officer Sonya Shuter this week agreed such claims were nonsense and not borne out at other local skateparks according their organisers and police.

Nearly 90pc of the opposition came from chalet owners, who wrote voicing fears about gangs, under-age sex, and paedophiles. But there were also concerns from officialdom such as the town council and Poppyland Partnership, which led to funders Playbuilder pulling out to use the cash elsewhere.

Other sites had been assessed over the years, such as North Lodge Park, Runton Road, Fearns Field and the Meadow, but had been ruled out because of potential noise problems for nearby housing.

Happy Valley was “not perfect”, but was the best they could find on council land, and that fulfilled the criteria of Playbuilder including being close to where most of the young users lived on Suffield Park and fitting in with the natural environment.

“We feel we have let the young people down, but we were damned if we did and damned if we didn't,” she added. “We wanted the park to happen.”

The lack of a site could only be solved if other land became available in the future, and there would need to be other funding sources found, as there was no scope to build it in the council budget.

Cromer mayor Hilary Thompson, who is personally in favour of the park, said she was “cross” it had not happened, and hoped a site could be found in the current review of planning zones in the town, such as the area earmarked for housing on Roughton Road.

An anonymous letter writer, claiming to represent a group of residents at King's Chalet Park, said: “We feel it was a little unfair that all the blame was laid at our door.

“This venture had after all been rejected several times in other areas of Cromer before we became involved.”



What do you think? Are you angry at the lack of a skatepark? E-mail terry.redhead@archant.co.uk or write to him at Prospect House Rouen Road, Norwich, NR1 1RE.

Letters - pages 8-11