‘It is going to ruin the area’ - Liversedge residents ready for ‘battle’ against Kirklees Council’s approved plans for skatepark

Kirklees Council have approved the application for the new area at Royds Park on Bradford Road leaving local residents - who already insist there is an issue with anti-social behaviour - concerned.

“The plans to put a skatepark in there is just going to make everything ten times worse,” revealed Joe Saville, who has lived on Eddercliffe Crescent, which overlooks the park, his entire life. “We’re aware of the crime that’s happening in the area. There’s drug paraphernalia all over the park, litter, used condoms. It’s already in a really bad state.

“I think there are 13 skateparks across Kirklees and they have all got these issues. The skatepark behind Spen Baths was forever a problem and then people were just too afraid to go because of the activities that were going on there.

“I agree that there needs to be an area for something for young people to use but this isn’t it because it is going to ruin something that is used by all walks of life.

“It is an area that will become run down and degraded and everybody will want to move.”

Mr Saville attended the Heavy Woollen Planning Sub Committee meeting on Thursday, November 9, where the plans for the park were discussed and local residents’ objections were raised.

The planning application for the site received 27 comments in total, 26 objected to the plans and none were in support.

The report from the meeting, however, states that “the development would constitute sustainable development and is therefore recommended for approval.”

Asked if he is hopeful of a u-turn from Kirklees Council, Mr Saville said:

“I don’t have any high hopes and I am not banking on being successful. But we are going to do what we can and hope that it prevails and that the right decision is made. It doesn’t fill me with confidence and it looked as if they had already made their decision and will push ahead anyway.

“We will do whatever we have to do, chain ourselves to something, protest, we will do what we can to make sure that work does not start. It is something we are passionate about.”

Referring to the concerns raised in regards to anti-social behaviour, the Report of the Head of Planning and Development for the proposed skatepark states:

“It is noted that there has been significant representation which raised concerns regarding anti-social behaviour and crime. The KC Crime Prevention Officer was formally consulted regarding the proposed development.

“They raised no objection to the principle of this application however, they have provided advice on security measures that could be incorporated into the scheme to maximise the security including lighting and CCTV.”