Agenda item

Linda Roberts, Town Clerk

James Threlfall MBE

• Councillor Seed requesting £5,000 towards a new mini-ramp at Melksham Skate Park

• Councillor Alford requesting £5,000 from the youth budget towards the costs of a detached youth worker service at the Skate Park

Linda Roberts, Town Clerk of Melksham Town Council and James Threlfall MBE, skateboarder, gave a presentation about the investment by the Town Council in facilities at King George V Playing Fields and plans for an extension to the skate park.

Linda Roberts explained that the Town Council was very committed to making the King George playing fields a central playing field for Melksham that everyone could enjoy and had set aside £500,000 for the project. A sensory garden was to be developed. Aspects of this would be carried out sequentially and volunteers would also be used. The fencing, footways and lights (electrical sources) were the first step. Play equipment in good order would be moved up to the splash pad and more equipment would be added. The toilets were to be improved and refurbished. The Town Council amenities team were moving to the park. At first, they would use the cricket pavilion and the maintenance shed would be improved or rebuilt. The amenities team now undertook all maintenance of the playing fields and took great pride in their work. 

James Threlfall explained that he had worked for about 6 years to get the new stake park built. He had used the old one and it had given him his career, so when he saw that it was no longer up to standard he wanted a new facility and worked to make that happen. He was very grateful for the funds received to build the park. The park had been very successful and as a result they wanted to install a new half pipe for beginners. Local businesses and organisations were helping to fund the new project which again he was very grateful for. A build scheme had been received from the contractors. The works would start in June and cost £25,000. The build would take approximately two weeks.  Skateboarding was to be included in the next Olympics which should mean an uplift in young people using the facility. 

A question was received regarding vandalism and bullying issues at the skate park. It was hoped that measures would be put in place to deal with this. 

The Chairman interjected that he had received comments recently that the skate park was in really good condition and stated that the skaters themselves maintained the skate park as it was a really important facility to them. He referred the issue of safeguarding to Cllr Jon Hubbard who agreed that there were challenges. The dedicated skaters were not the problem, however others in the vicinity could be an issue. Young Melksham had received funding from UK Youth for £5,000 to run a “Bullies Not Welcome” project with 3 detached youth workers visiting the park on 2 evenings per week until the end of May 2020. The Area Board funding would help to continue this detached youth worker service at the skate park until the end of October 2020 and, should it prove effective, will hopefully lead to further funding in future years. James Threlfall agreed that youth workers at the skate park would be a good idea as Police resources did not allow for a regular PCSO presence in this location.

The Chairman thanked Linda Roberts and James Threlfall for their presentations and advised that the Cllr Initiatives detailed in the agenda would now be considered. As the first initiative was his proposal, he requested that Cllr Pat Aves temporarily take the Chair to introduce that initiative.

The initiatives were considered and it was;

Resolved:

·         To grant Councillor Seeds initiative £5,000 as requested towards a new mini-ramp at Melksham Skate Park.

NOTE: It was noted that these funds would come from the next financial year’s budget (2020/2021) as the funds were not required until the next financial year.

·         To grant Councillor Alford’s initiative £5,000 as requested from the youth budget, towards the costs of a detached youth worker service at the Skate Park.

NOTE: It was noted that £4,000 of this funding would come from the youth budget for 2019/2020. The remaining £1,000 would come from the youth budget for the next financial year (2020/2021).