Council say no to new skatepark at Lake Grounds

Thank you North Somerset Council, logic and rational. There are other ways to deal with skateboards and having been nearly annihilated by two down Park Road some years ago I recently thought of ways of accommodation of this and street run jump by the design of suitable street furniture that would also be coincidentally vandal proof and went through some skateboard magazine pictures. But that is as about as far as it went as other events chosen by other people prevented this continuing. I have no wish to see my wife ripped in half ahead of me as she nearly was, if they had hit me they would have ended up in a window, I have too much bulk to stand down under rugby tackles these days. So anybody want to try for a touch down with future skate board crime ? which some use for handbag snatches ? I see no reason to train young people to use motorcycles, skateboards and mini-bikes as war machines, so within controlled confines and on suitable safe ground designs OK, but it is a sport not a form of street travel.

I have noticed that on Friday and Saturday nights the centre of Bristol tends to act as a magnet for youths loitering and alcohol related anti social behaviour.  This does not seem to stop the addition of facilities for the rest of the community.

Its a piece of grass and a bus shelter or a fence and skate park.  Why the latter would increase any issue is bewildering.

According to reporting in the Mercury there were 400 expressions of support and 17 objections.  Aren't Counsellors supposed to represent us?

These Counsellors are of the generation who are responsible for bequeathing a near bankrupt nation with poor health and education infrastructure while generating huge gains on the values of their homes and from the stock market, purchasing second homes and driving first time buyers out of the market while imposing tuition fees on our student elite after taking a near lifetime of free education.

Personally, I hope that when this Facebook generation takes over the running of the country they take a visit to the Lakeground and watch this generation of people listening to the band playing in the new bandstand who demonised them for standing in a group in a field on an evening and point blank refuse to pay for their state pension, healthcare or homes.

Its a skate park.  Its hardly like we are doing anything else for these kids.  Lots of people support it and the vast majority of Portishead teenagers are decent and well behaved. Lets not link every discussion we have about facilities for them with drink and bad behaviour!

I have just spoken to a colleague on the telephone who informed me that Councillor Pasley has intentions to erect a Bandstand on the proposed skatepark site. If this is true surely he should have had no say in the planning decison for the skatepark as he has an undeclared interest in the application.
It will be interesting to see if this is accurate but more interesting to see if such a proposal will be refused because a bandstand would surely attract youngsters to congragate in the same area but with little else to do oither than become a nuisance. At least a skatepark would occupy them.

It appears my views on this matter were deleted as obviously naming the destructive handful of councillors who are systematically betraying the youngsters in this town isn't acceptable.
So instead i'd like to ask Councillor Pasley to justify his claim that there were 'solid planning reasons for turning down the application'  when in reality all planning processes were followed, all planning officials recommended approval and there was nothing new brought up at the planning meeting to go against the town council and the planning officers recommended approval for the plans other than the few personal agendas of a handful of vindictive councillors who should be ashamed of their attitude that puts their personal interests above those of the towns young people who they still fail to cater for.

"They said it would lead to an increase in anti social behaviour at the beauty spot which is already a night time haunt for teenage drinkers."  Hold on a minute here... the lake grounds were identified as an area of concern for drinking almost FIVE years ago, at the may 11th 2005 north somerset council planning and regulatory commitee. These problems are still occuring and this is being used as a reason to deny the application ?????? Why is it not being regularly policed and this problem eradicated. If the lakegrounds are a designated area under the Alcohol Consumption in Designated Public Places Regulations 2001 why is drinking still occuring, the powers are there to deal with it, if the area was not  designated by the council shouldn't questions be answered as to why it hasn't (by now) as it is still an ongoing problem.  Perhaps the lakegrounds been left to fester as a late night meeting place for teenagers so an excuse is onhand to be conveniently wheeled out anytime someone suggests anything to the benefit of the whole of Portishead or its Youth, but happens to upset a handful of NIMBY's.  I'm really surprised a request hasn't been made to drain the lake because the wildlife that gathers there wakes the residents up too early in the morning. What an absolute kick in the teeth for the people who have worked so hard in an attempt to bring this project to fruition. I doubt if the council will approach the problem of presenting the skateboard project with a suitable site with as much zeal as they seem to have utilised in denying them space at the lakegrounds; but they certainly need to do something if any faith is to be restored in their abilities. The growing youth population of this town needs something to occupy itself or the result will be more wanton vandalism.