Praise for skate park proposal at recreation area meeting

Lyra Waters is a Sixth Form student at the town’s Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School

A Great Britain junior international roller-skater, she made a passionate plea for the skatepark at a public meeting held by Horncastle Town Council last night (Wednesday).

Lyra was supported by several members of the public who attended the meeting, chaired by town councillor Matthew Wilkinson.

The teenager revealed she had done extensive research about how to secure funding for a skate park - and how to develop it.

She said the town desperately needed a skate park and added she had attracted over 600 messages of support on social media.

She hopes funding can be raised to provide a facility that will cater for all forms of wheeled sports - and all age groups and abilities.

Coun Wilkinson praised Lyra for her efforts and invited the committee to work with the town council to develop the park.

Councillors had initially hoped to raise £250,000 for a multi-purpose development but had to scale back their plans after encountering funding issues.

Lyra told the meeting she hopes the fact the community is backing her campaign will improve chances of attracting financial support from outside agencies.

The town council has earmarked £50,000 for the initial stages of the development that will also feature an outdoor gym.

Coun Wilkinson revealed the first phase was a new pathway and seating area which would open up the site.

The pathway will feature lighting, CCTV and planting. The estimated cost is around £30k.

Several people questioned whether spending that amount of money on a path was the right option.

However, Coun Wilkinson stressed it would enable the other phased stages of the development to go ahead.

The skate park proposal was strongly backed at the meeting with Coun Mark Everton calling for everyone to ‘work together and make it happen.’

Messages of support came from as far away as New Zealand

Town councillors will meet next Tuesday to approve the development plans with several people calling for them to ‘get on with it.’

Some residents living close to the development did voice concerns about flooding and vandalism but Coun Wilkinson assured them their views would be taken into account.

• Full story in next week’s Horncastle News