MONKTON Park residents were right in their protests that Monkton Park was not the best place for the town’s skate park, says independent councillor Chris Caswill.

Despite the concerns raised and a report presented to the Chippenham Area Board last week noting “various technical issues” with the site in front of the Multi-Use Games Area in Monkton Park, Wiltshire Council is determined to press on with the plans.

Contractor Wheelscape are continuing to work through the issues which include drainage, flood risk and noise with a planning application expected to be submitted by the end of the year.

Coun Caswill said: “After a year, the Council's consultants have identified significant problems with locating a skate park in Monkton Park - drainage, flooding, the high level water table under the site, managing the noise, and the need for a surrounding 13 foot high wall.

“Residents pointed out all these problems two years ago when a skate park location was being decided. They proposed other sites. They were ignored and regrettably even publicly put down by Area Board councillors.

“We now know the residents were right.”

The report states that with acoustic mitigation, flood risk and drainage issues that the site is “technically challenging to deliver”.

The current noise assessment recommended a four metre high barrier and with the water table being less than a metre below ground the distance the park can be dug down is limited.

At last Monday’s Area Board meeting, council leader Jane Scott proposed a meeting to tackle the delays in delivering the park and said that the money for the park was ready and waiting.

But Coun Caswill remains concerned and wants to see the park moved.

“There is still time to avoid this costly folly, and put the skate park in a better place,” he added.

“That could still be a quicker solution than trying to cope with all the problems in Monkton Park and damaging the whole park in the process.

“There comes a time when it’s better to admit you are wrong and find a better way forward."

The former steel skate park was closed in 2002 because of impact noise complaints from residents in nearby Sadlers Mead.

Pete Bishop, secretary of Friends of Monkton Park, said: “It seems to me that the council have chosen the most expensive and difficult location they could. There’s the flooding and associated problems, impact noise and spoiling the natural beauty of the park.

“It’s all quite frustrating really that this is going to start all over again. We have nothing against a park per say but the process that Wiltshire Council went through left a lot to be desired.”

A design workshop for the new park with Chippenham Local Youth Network is set to take place in late September.

Designs and proposals are expected in mid to late October and Councillor Peter Hutton remains optimistic progress will now be made.

He said: “It’s frustrating but we are where we are let’s get a completed planning application submitted.”