Potential stumbling block for Abbey Park's new zip wire

The Town Council was granted funding to install a zip wire at Abbey Park as part of Wychavon District Council’s community legacy grants.

However, the grant was made on the condition the town council cover the maintenance bills.

Wychavon has offered to cover a £1,500 annual service, but Pershore will have to pay for any necessary repairs.

Discussing the proposal at Thursday’s town council meeting, councillor David Annis raised concerns about vandalism and felt they should consider how zip wires have been treated in other areas.

He said: “My reaction was vandalism straight away.

“Drakes Broughton and Eckington may not have the high rate of vandalism we can expect in this town.

“I suspect it may get vandalised.”

READ MORE: Council submit bid to build zipwire and trim trail at Abbey Park

Concerns were raised about anti-social behaviour (Image: Getty/Pawel Kajak)

However, Dan Boatright, a town and district councillor, said these concerns shouldn’t prevent such a development.

“The zip wire in Evesham costs a bit of money every now and then but generally speaking it has been quite well received,” he said.

“Pinvin has a higher anti-social rate than Pershore but the zipwire is still going strong, you often see teenagers doing their Miley Cyrus impressions on it.

“In Drakes Broughton, people have been respectful.

“There’s always the risk of anti-social behaviour but generally the fact that you’re putting it in for young people is seen as a positive thing.

“I think it would be worth the risk.”

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A visual included in the consultation document of what the trim trail may look like (Image: Pershore Town Council)

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The idea for the zip wire initially came from the Youth Council, which had been raising money for the project until Covid hit and the council was suspended.

Last year, Pershore Town Council submitted a bid for £45,012 to the Wychavon Community Legacy Grant scheme to fund the zip wire and a trim trail.

In the end, Pershore was awarded £39,912, with around £16,000 of this going towards the zip wire.

The council has been quoted a figure of around £20,000 for the equipment.

Now, Pershore is waiting to hear back from clerks in other parishes that have zip wires to find out more about potential repair costs before deciding whether to accept Wychavon’s proposal.