TEENAGERS in Bromyard are celebrating news that a skateboard park is to be built on York Road.

Herefordshire councillors last week approved a planning application from Bromyard and Winslow Town Council for a landscaped, floodlit facility at the lower end of the playing fields.

The application was deferred from previous meetings so that a site visit could be carried out to ensure that it would not be a nuisance to nearby residents, 12 of whom objected to the plan.

Campaigning for the skate park were more than 30 youngsters, who last year raised an 800-name petition. Town councillors had also become increasingly worried about in-line skating and skateboarding on car parks and streets.

In July 2002, a ramp and rail committee (RRC) was formed to help youngsters apply for planning permission and grants.

The resulting plan highlights an area to be dug out for a concrete ramp, surrounded by noise-reducing landscaping. A condition of the approval means that a single eight-metre high floodlight over the park must be switched off by 10pm.

Talking about the next stages, RRC chairman Pearl Briggs said: "The children are going to be involved throughout this process and as soon as we get a site meeting set up with manufacturers they will be involved in every stage of it.

"The ramp and rail committee have a lot of hard work ahead of them. We'll work closely with the planning officers to comply with their recommendations and it's essential that we provide the best possible facility for the skateboarders, while at the same time considering the residents who live near to the site.

"It's fantastic news for all of the skateboarders but we must get it right the first time. On behalf of the RRC I would like to thank those who have supported us, in particular our young people for their patience."