A teenager from Cheddar has gathered hundreds of signatures supporting plans for a skate park in the village. Steve Sayer and his friends have been

A teenager from Cheddar has gathered hundreds of signatures supporting plans for a skate park in the village. Steve Sayer and his friends have been trawling the villages around Cheddar gathering names of people that support the skate park and placing petitions in shops and businesses.Steve, who is a student at Sidcot School, said: "We need to show just how many people really want the skate park."Lots of people will use it and it will give youngsters in Cheddar somewhere to hang out and see their friends."Steve, who celebrated his 14th birthday on Friday, says when all the petitions have been collected, he will hand them to Sedgemoor District Council, the authority responsible for planning, with a copy going to Cheddar Parish Council. The youngster hit headlines in August when Sedgemoor District Council ordered him to take down a sign for his manure selling business.Voluntary community group Cheddar Local Action Team (LAT) is the committee behind the skate park plans.So far the group has asked Gravity Engineering in Hampshire to help draw up planning proposals for the park, but the group still needs to find someone who is prepared to manage the site. LAT chairman Jill Male said: "While we appreciate Steve's support and petition, we have found the parish council to be very supportive of the skate park project. It has also said it will submit our planning proposal when we are ready."If there are hundreds of people that have signed the petition it would be great if they could show their support in other ways as well. "We desperately need more LAT members and Junior LAT members to help with fund-raising ideas for the park."The Cheddar LAT, which usually helps marshal the village's Festive Night in December, has had to tell the parish council they cannot assist this year as numbers are low. Anyone who would like to help out is urged to attend the next LAT meeting in Hannah More Cottage in Lower North Street on October 29 at 7.30pm. * Pictured: Steve Sayer and Matt Warden.