Group presses for new skate park and cycle track for Monmouth (From Free Press Series)

Group presses for new skate park and cycle track for Monmouth

10:00am Tuesday 4th September 2012 in News

A GROUP who wants a new skate park and cycle track in Monmouth is to enter talks with the council with the hope of bringing the long-awaited plan to reality.

The local authority has already announced it is looking at one site in Monmouth for it, which would also include extra car parking spaces for the town off Rockfield Road.

Shirley Hughes, community development officer for Adventa, said members of the Monmouth Off Street project are meeting with Cabinet member for County Operations Bryan Jones, the council's head of infrastructure, networks and sustainability Roger Hoggins and other interested parties on September 10, to discuss this further.

MOSP includes 14 young people who want a new skate park to replace the old one which was said to be too far away from the town and in a poor state of repair.

The new facility would provide a local facility for those who enjoy sports such as skateboarding, BMX bike riding and in-line skating.

Ms Hughes, who has been involved with the project since it started around three years ago, said the group needs a lease from the council for land at the site before funding applications can be submitted.

She said they have already registered an interest with the developer of the new Rockfield estate for 106 funding.

It is expected MOSP will need around £60,000 to get the first stage of the skate park up and running.

So far, the group has raised nearly £5,000 and has had a donation of around £3,000 of topsoil which they plan to put to good use.

Ms Hughes said: "We have a long way to go but we are making progress and we have some really good lads who have stuck by us from the start."