Richard Baum

Yesterday there was a meeting of young people interested in a skate park in the area. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend, but fellow Prestwich Lib Dems Cllr Vic D’Albert and Cllr Ann Garner did go. By the sounds of it the young people put up an excellent set of potential ideas, and a range of options for the type of facility that would suit them and the location it could go in. I have heard some very positive feedback from the meeting, and people there were especially impressed that the young people themselves continue to play such a pivotal role in the development of plans, and they have done throughout.

The next step may well be to bring the proposals to the Local Area Partnershiup formally, and then we can hopefully get some agreement on a way forward. I know these things can take time (sometimes too much time), which can be frustrating especially if you’re desperate for a facility which is much needed. But hopefully we can get some progress on this. The young people obviously care very much about this facility, and with any luck I will be able to use the Developing Communities sub-group of the LAP, which I chair, to get some progress on a facility which gives young skateboarders a safe place to go which is good for the whole community.

Rick