19-Oct-2008

Your Views & Concerns.

*** ALL ENTRIES BEFORE THIS TIME WERE RELEVANT TO THE RIVERSIDE PARK PROJECT ***

Ref No. 39 - 03/12/2007.

Why do people need a BMX track there is a great homemade track nearby and thats the main reason why the council are delaying the project to raise money money from the bmx track.

Submission by: Anonymous.

Ref No. 38 - 19/11/2007.

After reading alot of the replies to this topic from what appear to be more mature members of the public i am disgusted to here what lack of information they have about skate parks, the environments and general usage.

Skate parks provide a source of entertainment, progression and exercise for young people.

I have been riding BMX for 6 years. And its the best thing that could of happened to me. If you look at all my old school friends i am the only one not taking drugs and who hasnt been to prison. And i hold this 100% down to the fact i ride bikes. Its a hobby and a sport (An Olympic sport as of this year!!!!). Its a life style for most people. I lost 3 stone due to riding and have made alot of friends!

The people who cause the trouble at a venue like a skate park almost ever time are people who do not use the park but people who go down there specifically to cause trouble. These people should not reflect in anyway the type of person who uses the skate park to bmx or skate ect.

Theres alot of people on this forum who in my eyes have nothing better do then complain and ruin opportunities for young people to actually enjoy and be interested in something that is not only fun but healthy!

I am fully for the skatpark and BMX and if I had to collect names I could happily collect 200+

Submission by: Anonymous.

Ref No. 37 - 11/10/2007.

Hello, i dont know if you know,
but me and my friends had a considerable impact on getting the wokingham skatepark together, which has unfortunatly been in a lot of bad press at the moment due to litter.

I have heard of the plans for the skatepark in earley and have just found this site.
I think it would be a very good idea to have this skatepark put in place, as there is plenty of local talent and it would go to waste if we didnt have the facilities needed.

I hope very much that this plan goes forth and it is eventually built.

Submission by: Anonymous.

Ref No. 36 - 07/09/2007.

Proposed Skate Park Debacle

Hi there, as a 'mature' skateboarder and one-time user of Sol Joel. I am astounded that yet again this issue is being swept under the carpet. I have written to Phillip Truppin of Earley Town Council twice about the health and safety issues with the very poor maintenance of the Sol Joel skatepark, all I received was two rude letters that basically told me to mind my own business.
Speaking to youngsters who use Sol Joel they are disheartened by the lack of investment and if you look how much money was spent on the poor quality installations that are not only a health and safety risk but a waste of tax payers money. The reason the place has degenerated so rapidly is that is cannot be used by those it is intended for.
I provided him with contact details of the UK Skateboarding Association. The improvement of skate park facilities is the United Kingdom Skateboarding Association's (UKSA's) core business. It was founded in 2005. It is voluntarily run by a collective who are driven by skateboarding and the goal of improving the parks which are built within the UK.
It also acts as an information resource, ensuring that people looking for contacts in the Skateboarding world are pointed in the right direction.
Following years of lacklustre installations, the association was set up to help change the current trend of poor skate park builds in the UK. Obviously this piece of advice has been ignored.
Perhaps someone can point this bunch in the direction of the experts and ensure that there is properly planned, consulted and quality installation.

Submission by: Anonymous.

Ref No. 35 - 07/08/2007.

bmx and skatepark proposal

after hearing that a bmx/skatepark was proposed to be built in earley i was ecstatic. having just moved to the area and having not a lot to ride. i currently work as a skatepark attendant at the windsor skatepark in berkshire and as far as i am concerned bmx and skateparks do not attract trouble if they are managed in the right way. i thin kthese people who say that it will bring more trouble, grafitti etc are just ignorant to the fact that by buikding this may be a way to discourage kids from being on the streets causing trouble.
windsor skatepark is known to be one of the best council skateparks in berkshire. my duty there is to liase with the police and community via a radio if any trouble does occur and i must say i have only ever had to use to radio once in my 2 years there. we do have a slight problem with graffiti but its not the fact that there is a skatepark there that is the fault. my job there is to maintain the ramps and any grafitti we just paint over. also with cctv cameras up around the park this also distracts trouble makers. i think that building a park in earley is a fantastic idea and every summer you could hold a bmx competition there like we do over in windsor which always goes down well. bmx and skating has always been a big sport and now that bmx is in the olympics it is set to get even bigger. the riders of reading have nothing to ride and i think its only fair to give them someplace where they are not at danger of being hit by cars coz they only have places in the street to ride.

these people who say that building a skatepark will cause more trouble need to wake up. if kids are going to cause trouble they will, whereever they want! give them something to focus on tand the need to cause trouble will go away. bmxers and skaters are not like fotball hooligans..in fact the bmx and skate community is one of the nicest bunch of people i have ever met. i have been in my job for 2 years now and i have seen a lot in that time but never have i seen any trouble starting just because there is a park there. if it is organised, set up and run in the correct way then i think this will be a big success.

Submission by: Anonymous.

Ref No. 34 - 07/08/2007.

Submission by: Anonymous.

Ref No. 33 - 10/05/2007.

Environment Agency.

Where does the Environment Agency stand with this development?
 

Submission by: Anonymous.

The Environment Agency has neither given a formal agreement or formal objection to the building of anything in this area, and this is why there has been such a lack of forward movement on the project since the public meeting in January while we tried to get this answer from them to gauge whether it is worth progressing to submitting a Planning Application.  Cllr. Deegan has asked me to send a letter to the EA querying the information it released in January in respect of the anticipated level of flooding in the Lower Earley area.  This was not specifically in relation to the Riverside Park project, but more a concern that many more properties in Lower Earley were now being shown as being at risk of flooding in the flood data issued by the EA as compared to flood data they had previously issued.  Matt felt that, regardless of the BMX Skatepark Project, the EA’s view of the extent of potential flooding in the Lower Earley area was of considerable concern and the accuracy of it should be queried with them. Maddy Bristow Deputy Town Clerk

Ref No. 32 - 10/05/2007.

Alternative sites & noise assessment

The Kilnsea Drive Events Field is currently an area already consistently used by young people and events that are held there do not generally require all of the available space. This would also mean the facility isn't tucked away out of site so should be less susceptable to damage.

The Chalfont Way Sports Area with its 5-a-side football pitches is also an area that is popular with people who would probably use a skate/bmx facility. This site has the additional benefit of being in the heart of Lower Earley with easy access for all.

Please can you confirm why the Kilnsea Drive Events Field was discounted?
Please can you confirm why the Chalfont Way Sports Area was discounted?

Road noise drowning out the noise from the skate/bmx park is mentioned a number of times, this suggests that considerable noise is expected even though the park will be closed at certain times.

Please confirm when the noise assessment will be published?
 

Submission by: Anonymous.

Both the Events Field in Kilnsea Drive and Chalfont Park were looked at in the early stages, and discussed with the Borough Council, who owns these two areas . We were advised that the site in Kilnsea Drive would not receive Planning Permission as it was too near to houses.  Also the site is used for other events in the year, and the provision of the BMX track/skatepark at this location, would reduce the overall area and may limit its future use for other functions which WBC would not be happy with. We were advised that Chalfont Park could not be used as it is designated playing field and has to be left as such and therefore this would not receive Planning Permission either. We do not consider that noise from the facility if it is built at Riverside Park is an issue.  The noise emanating from the use of the BMX track will be very minimal.  The noise from the skatepark will be slightly more, but the level can be gauged by anyone who has heard skateboarders using facilities elsewhere, or indeed skating down pavements or in ASDA car park.  The reason the noise from the facility in relation to traffic noise has been mentioned is that the view is that any noise from the facility will be unnoticeable above the traffic noise. There is no intention to produce a noise assessment unless this is specifically requested by Councillors, or, if the project gets as far as the Planning Permission stage, is specifically requested by the Local Planning Authority. Maddy Bristow Deputy Town Clerk

Ref No. 31 - 08/03/2007.

Submission by: Anonymous.

Ref No. 30 - 18/02/2007.

Graffiti & Motorbikes

I reported some graffiti that has appeared recently around the Mill Lane / Rushey Way area to the environment group in Wokingham District Council. I was told that there is a problem in the area and that the community wardens regularly send in pictures and reports to them.

There have also been more problems with motorbikes in the exact area where the BMXSkate Park is proposed. I have witnessed this myself while walking my dogs and reported it to the police on several occasions in the past. I have followed culprits to the Hornbeam estate before or to a motorbike track they have built in the woods just down from the estate (near the park on the opposite side of Rushey Way to the proposed BMXSkate Park). Again, this has been reported to the police. I dont know what action, if any, has been taken.

It is naive to think or suggest that there will not be a graffiti or motorbike problem. There are many routes into / out of the proposed area, the most worrying one being from / through the Hornbeam estate which is off-the-beaten-track.

I have been past the park mentioned above (on the opposite side of Rushey Way to the proposed BMXSkate Park) this evening with my dogs and it is littered with empty fosters and stella cans.

I seriously object to the building of the BMXSkate Park as it will attract more graffiti, motorbikes, alcohol abuse and anti-social behaviour to the area. It will particularly affect those who live closest who must therefore be allowed to decide on whether or not it goes ahead.

I also seriously object to the loss of this beautiful area which is used by many. It is probably the most useful part of the parkland as it is the most open and does not have overhead power lines.

Does anyone know what the process is from here ? Is there any more public consultation ? Is it up to us to write to anyone in particular

Submission by: Anonymous.

In the final sentence what the next step will be.  Currently, Town Councillors have not suggested that they will be carrying out any further public consultation.  However, they have requested that, should the project get as far as submitting planning applications, a special edition of the Town Newsletter will be sent to all households who were invited to the public meeting, detailing the concerns that have been raised about the project, and outlining how these could be addressed.  Secondly, should the project get to the Planning Permission stage, the Local Planning Authority (i.e. Wokingham District Council) will circulate letters to ‘affected neighbours’, and planning notices will be posted on site.  At this stage, anyone has the opportunity to write to the Local Planning Authority about the project. Maddy Bristow Deputy Town Clerk

Ref No. 29 - 14/02/2007.

I have been watching with interest the responses on this site. I have my view / concerns like most people who have sumbitted to this site. Giving more amenities for children is a good thing (and we should encourage this!) but on the other hand building on a flood plain sounds bad.
 
Building on flood plains is not a sensible thing to be doing, history has shown that and things are only going to get worse. I have created a petition to on No 10 Downing Street to accelerate the powers for the Environment Agency after seeing a program on BBC about Covey Island and the proposed extra building on their flood plains which will threaten many houses / towns around London.
 
Whatever your stance on whether you think the skate park or the BMX track should be built I hope you will see that this Petition is a national issue. Although I state a local council in the Petition, I do not say which one, and I have stated this to highlight that building on flood plains is just not a reserved activity for large building firms. Therefore whatever your stance please support this Petition.
 
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Empower-the-EA/

Submission by: Nigel Warburton.

An extract from the pre-amble posted on the petition created by Mr. Warburton states:  “It has been suggested that they may build anyway regardless of any risk or objection from the Environment Agency (EA), as they do not have to adhere to EA recommendations.”  I would be extremely interested to know where Mr. Warburton obtained this information.  To my knowledge, the Town Council has never stated that it would build “…….regardless of any objection from the Environment Agency……”.  In fact, if such an objection were received by the Local Planning Authority, Planning Permission would not be granted. Maddy Bristow Deputy Town Clerk

Ref No. 28 - 07/02/2007.

I think it is about time such a facility is provided for our youngsters. the design and placing has been well thought out. It is not our youngsters fault that we are living in an urban jungle, and they need somewhere to go and play. Not all children like playing football, rounders etc, as not all children like skateboarding or bmx riding, but both sets of interests should be accomodated. Laurel Park, Chalfont Park and Kilsnea Drive Parks provide plenty of room for ball sports but are unsuitable for people to ride bikes or skateboard. Also, surely, if the number of dog walkers and park users at Riverside Park is as great as other users mention, that will police itself during the day, as there is less likely to be anti social behaviour going on when there are plenty of people around. I walk my dog around the area most days and cannot see how I am going to be penalised.

People can not cycle around the Nature Reserve off Instow Road, and this facility has been enhanced over the years providing larger wild flower meadows, part of the woodland path has been closed off, so again there is less space for children to wonder and play.

Surely any facility which is provided is better for youngsters is better for them, and will get more of them outside rather than watching television and playing computer games etc.

Submission by: Anonymous.

Ref No. 27 - 05/02/2007.

I’m new to this forum.

I don’t normally give any interest to council issues ‘Earley or Wokingham’. I just pay my rates and leave it to them. I have lived in Earley for 22 years and it is a well run and kept area. I was very pleased to see the council giving responses to questions that have been placed in this forum, I wouldn’t have a clue how to get these sort of answers to council issues.

Reading this forum has grabbed my interest, in particular, how the council decides that a BMX and Skate area is required. I assume that somewhere and sometime a questionnaire was produced and people were asked what they wanted.

I haven’t made my mind up. On one hand Earley will be loosing a large part of it’s desirable open space, on the other hand if teenagers would like this it could be offering them an excellent facility to enjoy themselves.

I have spoken to a small number of teenagers in the area and was quite surprised to find that none of them had any interest in seeing a BMX/Skate park built and more surprised when they said they would not use it! I would be very interested in seeing the questionnaire and a breakdown of the answers received, what demographic criteria was used? Was it teenagers or adults that were questioned?

Submission by: Anonymous.

Ref No. 26 - 05/02/2007.

Here is a quote from the BBC after a very interesting programme on Climate Change: -

'Major floods that have only happened before say, every 100 years on average, may now start to happen every 10 or 20 years. The flood season may become longer and there will be flooding in places where there has never been any before.'

While the local council is trying to convince the Environment Agency that there is no risk from flooding the pictures on the web site show a different message.

Submission by: Anonymous.

Ref No. 25 - 04/02/2007.

Quote <SNIP>
The area will not be ‘destroyed’ or ‘lost’.   It is being adapted from and area of mown and rough grass to a landscaped area offering leisure facilities.  This park is C40 acres and is one of the largest open spaces in Earley and is currently used by a small percentage of the population.  Should we not make those open spaces that we do have attractive to more residents?
Unquote <SNIP>
 
The point is that this open space should be kept open to all. Lower Earley is a concrete jungle, this is a nice place, please don't destroy it. I see lots of quotes of C40 acres, you can simply not compare the other areas to this, C40 is just a politician answer, just cause its C40 or C32 acres doesn't mean you should do it.

Submission by: Anonymous.

Ref No. 24 - 04/02/2007.

I see a note about that its only 6%. I fly kites and play football with my children here, its 100% of the best part of this natural open space.

Submission by: Anonymous.

Ref No. 23 - 04/02/2007.

Graffiti Pictures

What a terrible mess has been made so close to this lovely meadow and woodland. I believe this is close to the area where the lads who were at the quietly publicised meeting currently have been riding their bikes and hanging out. It was suggested that they were not involved in “damaging” their own area, well who has been doing this? Has other gangs been sneaking in to make a mess? I will let you make your own mind up. I don’t think it’s a question of whether graffiti would soon cover the skate park and all surrounding area, AS IT WILL, just how much before the council admit that they have lost the battle to keep a nice area actual nice.

In the meeting a councillor suggested that residents get off their own seats and go and help clean Sol Joel ourselves. Is that the sort of response we expected? No. So there is a question about the responsible children / teenagers using the site, well they should go and clean up Sol Joel Park, NOW!

I’m sorry but we shouldn’t forget that Sol Joel is managed by the same guys as planning the local assassination of our woodland and beautiful open space. It has been admitted that there is a drink and drug problem at Sol Joel and I think we can all see that there is a graffiti problem.

I know the council say that they have looked at other locations, but a well supervised location, with local trainers and safety next to a environment will full amenities and parking, like a sporting complex would be more suitable than “it’s the only place we could find” so we will build there (and try not to forget about it / Sol Joel).

Submission by: Anonymous.

Ref No. 22- 02/02/2007.

Graffiti – Coming to a skate park near you?

Submission by: Anonymous.

Ref No. 21- 30/01/2007.

Please can the council comment on the criteria that was set in the choice of location and how they feel this area meets these criteria rather than other areas that I personally feel would be better suited.

In my opinion there would need to be

: access for emergency vehicles and for parents to drop off (this would also have to make sure that travellers can not access the area)

: toilet facilities

: telephone - not everyone has a mobile

: away from childrens playground as this would have an adverse effect on this facility  (which is very well used as many locals can use this without having to walk along or cross busy roads such as Rushey Way)
 
I think it is naive of the council to expect that youngsters from neighbouring towns like Winnersh and Woodley would not visit the site and need to travel along the dangerous Lower Earley Way.  Our local kids are expected to travel to secondary schools in Winnersh and Woodley and word will soon spread.

This area is enjoyed by many people of all ages, just as it is.  I also like the idea of making it a local nature reserve, surely young people could get involved if this were to happen? I am disappointed by the comments that this is the "least attractive" area, I for one think this is a lovely meadow area and having a small garden as many of us do in Lower Earley it is so nice to see wide open space and get my children to have a good run around, use the playground and go for a stroll along the river without having to walk down lots of roads either without pavements or the busy roads with pavements to get to some open space.

How about getting together with other local town council to see if there is another area better suited if a skate/bmx park is what the young people really want.  I am not convinced it is , my kids love the whole "getting back to nature" thing and I am sure would love the opportunity to get involved in a new nature reserve. 

Submission by: Anonymous.

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