Youth workers fear a group of young people could become "disaffected" over a fruitless struggle to secure skateboard facilities for their estate.

Community leaders at Rinkfield Residents Association say they have been trying to create a safe place for skateboarders for more than a year.

But so far they have had no luck and say each night around 15 regular skateboarders from Rinkfield are left with little choice but to skate on pavements, in town and near houses.

The call for facilities at Rinkfield comes in the wake of a 250-name petition from Kendal skateboarders to SLDC.

Young Cumbria - formerly Cumbria Association of Clubs for Young People - has been working with Rinkfield skateboarders to find a solution.

Tricia Gordon, Young Cumbria's Kendal support worker, said: "My concern is these young men are going to become very disaffected. They are absolutely fantastic kids and all they want is somewhere to skate. We have been working since last summer to get a small area for them on the estate."

She said £5,000 funding - earmarked for skate park provision on Rinkfield - had been withdrawn by South Lakeland District Council at the last minute and the group had been told to reapply for the money.

She said Young Cumbria would continue to press for skateboard facilities but, in the meantime, had arranged a series of coach trips to skate parks outside the county.

Rinkfield Residents Association chairman Jim Greechan said young people on the estate welcomed the efforts of Young Cumbria but were becoming very frustrated with the lack of progress.

Skateboarders Matt Blamire, 13, of Kirkbie Kendal School, and Joe Gordon, 14, of Queen Katherine School, said they were tired of waiting for a place to skate.

"There's no where to go, it is too dangerous on the road. We want one big park or lots of little ones around town," said Joe.

SLDC, which part-funds leisure activities from swimming to the arts, previously ruled it could not provide further skate facilities itself due to cost of potential litigation but would support private sector providers looking to set up a skate park.

As reported last week, some councillors have questioned the fairness of the decision and have called on the authority to look again at policy.

Liz Cornford, Young Cumbria's community development co-ordinator for South Lakeland, said skateboarders right across the district were in desperate need of facilities now.

"Young people can't wait for years for things to happen - they will be away and at university in three years' time. I think skateboarders are fed up. There is nowhere to go and when they find their own spaces they often get hassle. Sometimes that leads to conflict which is really unnecessary."

April 24, 2003 15:00