MORE than 300 youngsters are helping shape proposals for a new skateboarding park in the Faithful City.

Youngsters, who have completed questionnaires, so far have unanimously opted for a concrete skateboarding park in Perdiswell.

Safety, travel and skateboard park charges were some of the other issues looked at when a skateboarding group visited a number of Worcester schools.

The questionnaires were taken to Worcester schools by members of the Perdiswell Skateboard Project Group, who were on a two-week, fact-gathering process to find out young people's views on the proposed skateboard park and location.

The piece of land at Perdiswell Young People's Leisure Centre has been earmarked for the new skateboarding park .

"We've received 230 questionnaires back so far but we're waiting for another 100 to arrive," said Chris Waterfall, community development officer with Worcester City Council.

"We are looking at how youngsters would travel to the park, where they live, how they'd like safety increased and where youngsters skateboard at present.

Mr Waterfall said that out of the questionnaires processed so far, 69 per cent of youngsters said they skateboarded in Perdiswell.

Of them, 77 per cent said they knew 20 friends who would be interested in using a new skateboard park and 94.9 per cent of youngsters said they would be interested in a concrete skateboarding park in Perdiswell.

Bishop Perowne CE High School was just one of the school's visited by the group as part of the consultation.

Sue Warriner, project co-ordinator for YVOL at Worcester City Volunteer Bureau said display boards were used to illustrate skateboard parks running in Malvern, Bromsgrove and Sheffield at the schools.

Brilliant

"I went along to Bishop Perowne and the response was brilliant," she said.

Members of the Perdiswell Skateboard Project Group include Miss Warriner, Chris Waterfall, Simon Douglas , group leader for youth group Angels in Exile, PC Nick Stinton and Rebecca Taylor from Millennium Workers.

The project group gauged the opinions of youngsters between the ages of 11 to 18 during the last two weeks in April.

The information from the questionnaires is being collated by Mr Waterfall and the findings will be discussed at the groups next meeting.