HUNDREDS of skateboarders have taken time out from their tricks to make a plea for more space for their sport, reports Beth Broomby.

Kendal skaters say they need a purpose-built skate park complete with fly-offs, rails and a "fun box", and have signed a 250-name petition calling on South Lakeland District Council for support.

Kendal has no formal skateboard provision. The nearest facility in Windermere is in need of further equipment after SLDC was forced to remove a dangerous, decayed mini half-pipe ramp.

Meanwhile, an independent skate park at Dove Nest Lane, Endmoor, is yet to open for use. Fund-raisers have been drumming up cash for equipment at the site, which was donated by local haulage contractors L & W Wilson after SLDC granted planning permission for the project late last year.

On Monday night, around 20 Kendal skaters ditched their decks for the evening to present the petition to the council.

Luke Foster, 13, of Queen Katherine School, told the Westmorland Gazette: "We really need somewhere to go where we won't get verbally abused or hassled. At the moment, there is nowhere."

Fellow skater Adam Wells, 15, also of QKS, said the town particularly needed an indoor skate board area so people could still skate in the rain.

Coun Charlie Batteson, who organised the petition hand-over, said he had been impressed with the skaters' attitude.

"We have got to do something about it. This issue has been going on for the best part of 15 years."

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.

SLDC leisure portfolio holder Coun Andy Shine said: "What this petition does is show real evidence of demand. We as a council believe there is a definite commercial possibility here."

The petition comes in the wake of the official hand-over of SLDC's leisure centres in

Kendal and Ulverston and Windermere Outdoor Adventure to a trust.

Coun Shine said, although the council had not been in direct contact with South Lakeland Leisure Trust about the skateboard issue, there would be nothing to stop the trust from opening up a skate park as a new venture.

"Kendal would be ideally placed to provide a park for some of the children from Scotland that currently travel to Bolton for the day," he said.

At an SLDC full council meeting this week, Coun Jean Ewing said youngsters were campaigning for facilities across the country and the council needed to look at its policy.

"They are crying out for it. We must listen to this generation of children who are getting up petitions. We have an obligation to respond."

Coun Simon Butterfield said it seemed unfair that the authority would insure school playing fields for out-of-school use yet would not insure a skate facility. He said: "The grazed or cut knee injuries sustained by somebody participating in skateboarding or BMX biking are similar to those sustained on school playing fields. Why do we insure one and not find the monies to insure the other?"

April 11, 2003 09:30