Skate park plans near Petworth +

Chichester district councillor for Petworth Eileen Lintill told members of the town council she believed the £50,000 scheme could happen ‘quite quickly’ if agreement could be reached with the owners of the land, the Leconfield Estate.

Cllr Lintill said the scheme had proved difficult, but after months of discussions it now looked positive.

She said the plan had been discussed with skateboard enthusiasts through the youth club and there had been overwhelming support for putting the skate park at Hampers Green.

Cllr Lintill said the land was leased to the town council by the Leconfield Estate and the estate’s agreement to the final plans was vital. The company designing the skate park had now met with representatives of the estate, who had stipulated the scheme had to blend in with the area, and ‘with a couple of provisos’, Cllr Lintill believed agreement could be reached.

The scheme would now go before Chichester District Council’s February cabinet meeting for approval.

“The money has been earmarked for this for some time,” said Cllr Lintill, “and we need to spend it.”

She told town councillors, as they were leasees of the land, the plans could go forward under ‘permitted rights’, but if it was handled by the district council it would have to go through the full planning process.

“It has to get approved by cabinet and have final agreement from the Leconfield Estate, but hopefully at last the scheme is on the move,” she said.

In July last year town councillors heard long-awaited plans for a skate park at the town’s Sylvia Beaufoy youth centre could be transferred to Hampers Green after a suggestion from a member of the club.