Skate fans bid for winter lighting

YOUTHS in Clevedon are pressing for lights to be installed at the town's skate park, so they can use the facility during the winter months.Youngsters from the SK8ON group attended a meeting of Clevedon Town Council to ask members to consider installing lights at the skate park at the Salthouse Fields to allow them to use the facility during the winter when the nights are darker.But the plea may fall on stony ground as a condition of the planning permission states no lights can be installed at the skatepark.The condition was put in after concerns from local residents who feared the lights would make the skatepark a 24-hour attraction, disturbing their peace.Clevedon youth worker Monica Stanley, who has been working with the teenagers and other youth workers to request the lights, said: "The idea is for the skate park to be lit so the young people can use the facility all year round."In the winter they are unable to see as it gets dark earlier and it is difficult to use the equipment."This a real hazard and could be very dangerous."Town councillors said they sympathised with local teenagers but said they felt it unlikely the condition in the planning permission was likely to be changed.Clevedon councillor Carole Wring said: "Whereas we are sympathetic to the young people's request, we only got planning consent with these conditions."The fact that we have a skateboard park has to be sufficient for now."If we applied to put in lighting, it would cause tremendous problems among the local residents."With the summer coming, lighting is not such an issue."However, the town council is going to see if it can come up with some alternative ideas to meet the safety aspects of using the skatepark."The town council agreed to write to North Somerset Council asking whether it has any plans to install extra lighting in the area as part of enhancement works being carried out at Marine Lake.The have also asked the authority to consider the use of wind or solar lamps at the site.