PLANS for skating facilitites in Morton Stanley Park have been given the go-ahead by Redditch Council.

And youngsters are to get a proper say on how it is run and how fellow users should behave.

The executive committee voted in favour of putting the equipment into the park on a permanent basis.

The council had received an 83-name petition against the facility but also one in favour of it, which was signed by 225 people.

At the meeting, Councillor Gavin Smithers said: "I think we should go with the permanent facility but give youngsters more responsibility over what happens at the park.

"We should ask them to write their own protocol as to how they think they and other users should behave."

Councillors were presented with three options for the site.

One was for the permanent facility in the park, one was not to provide anything at all and another was to provide facilities - but on the understanding equipment could be removed if there was any antisocial behaviour which lowered the quality of life for nearby residents.

But Mr Smithers said he did not think the third option would be workable as it would be difficult to measure how quality of life had been affected.

"I don't think giving them the facilities but having a threat having over their heads for the next 12 months would be any help.

"We have done this before in Redditch but the threats were of no benefit, we should instead be encouraging town youngsters to take more responsibility for their actions," he added.

Once youngsters had written the protocol, it could be shown to the Friends of Morton Stanley Park and brought before the next neighbourhood group meeting.