A formal planning application for a controversial skate park in Highburton has been submitted by The Isaac Nash Trust.
The idea for the park was developed in the aftermath of the tragic death of Kirkburton schoolboy Isaac Nash who died in a drowning accident in Anglesey more than a year ago.
The 12-year-old lad was sports-mad and the creation of a skate park for local children at the Recreation Ground next to Burton Acres Lane, Highburton, seemed to be a constructive way of creating something positive out of the tragedy and a permanent memorial for Isaac.
Fundraising began in earnest and £100,000 was raised in just a few months.
But some residents fear the park would prove to be a magnet for anti-social behaviour.
In a Design and Access statement submitted by Kirklees Council it says: “The council is a trustee of the Kirkburton Recreation Ground Charity and is applying for planning permission for a new wheel park.
“The council has agreed to be legally responsible for the new facility, subject to the planning application being approved.
“There are a number of similar facilities around the district, including Greenhead Park, Holmfirth, Lepton, and Cleckheaton.
“These have proved to be very popular and attracted many young people to take part in healthy activities.
“There is no evidence to show that they have directly increased, or even affected, anti-social behaviour in an area.
“By providing young people with somewhere to go, and something to do, they are better able to fill their spare time constructively, partaking in healthy recreation and enhancing their social skills by interacting with their peers in an informal setting.
“The fact that the design will be targeting those youngsters aged 12 years and under would help to provide an invisible level of control on this, by not acting as an obvious attraction to older teenagers.”
Howard Lewis, Isaac’s grandfather and a founder member of the Trust, said: “Regarding the planning application it’s gratifying that it has now been submitted.
“It’s taken a long time to get to this next stage of the journey and a lot of thought, research and pre-planning has gone into reaching this point and it has been a marvellous team effort, with outside support as well.
“A lot of people have put huge amounts of work into moving this vision forward and it is rather sad that there has been such aggressive and negative opposition to this project from a minority of residents.
“There is tremendous support for the creation of this facility which will be a great, free to use, benefit to the community and will be enjoyed by countless young people for many years to come.
“The matter is now in the hands of the Planning Committee and we await their decision with fingers crossed.”
