Campaign for Botley Skate Park

Presentation to the North Hinksey Annual Parish Meeting on 14th March 2013 (DARREN) As you are probably aware, in July a petition of 800 residents was presented to the Parish council asking for a replacement skate park on the playing fields. In January the Parish Council voted 7 to 6 to effectively block this request. We asked for a slot on the agenda tonight for two reasons 1) to give residents the opportunity to find out more about the skate park idea and to ask questions about any concerns you may have, and 2) to discuss with parish councillors how best to move this issue forward. (CLARE) In 2009, the Vale of White Horse Open Space, Sport and Recreation Strategy Report highlighted Botley as being in need of better quality and a greater quantity of teenage recreation facilities. The most popular idea to combat this problem is to build a multi-use skate park for all ages and abilities on, or near, the site of the old bowl. Parents are worried about their children playing in the roads and in car parks and the demand for spaces to play will only increase with the new housing developments happening here over the next few years. The idea to build a skate park has huge support from local young people, parents and other residents many of whom dont like people riding bikes and skateboards at the shops but recognise there is currently nowhere else for them to go. A multi-use skate park would solve this problem, as well benefitting our community in many other ways. (JORDAN) A skate and BMX park would encourage us kids and even adults to do more exercise, socialise, make new friends and have fun. It would also encourage families to make more use of the trim trails and MUGA, parents wouldn't have to do 1 hour long trips to take us to the skateparks. The fundraising and planning of the park would be an opportunity for people like me and adults to work together and encourage new people to get involved in improving the community. (EMILY) The Parish Councils Skate Park Working Party Report raised some concerns about what a park would look like, environmental impact, low usage rates and anti-social behaviour. While these are all important issues to consider when building a park, we have evidence that most of the concerns raised would not be realised and that the impact of a skate park would be overwhelmingly positive for Botley. Oxford Wheels Project are now officially supporting the Campaign for Botley Skate Park and are providing us with extremely useful information and advice based on their experiences of setting up the much larger Meadow Lane park. A facility in North Hinksey could be paid for using the 12,600 insurance money form the Botley Bowl, alongside grants from the Vale, County and other organisations. We expect maintenance of a park between 300 and 500 square meters to cost around 1,000 per year an amount that could be found within current Parish budgets for maintaining play equipment, or applying for further grants. There is certainly no need for the Parish Precept to be raised to pay for it. (DARREN) So, a skate park is needed, popular, would benefit our community in a number of ways and is affordable. To us it is a no-brainer and we think the Parish Council should reconsider their decision and allow a new facility to be built. We would be extremely grateful if Cllr Pritchard and some members the R&A Committee would agree to meet us less formally to consider how to meet the demand for a skate park as recognised in the Parish Newsletter? Does anyone have any questions? Or do any local residents want to meet up with us to discuss their concerns?