PLANS to provide youngsters in a New Forest town with a new skateboard park costing £150,000 have been given a major boost.

Lymington and Pennington Town Council has received consent to borrow £100,000 towards the cost of replacing the out-dated facility at Woodside Park.

Council chiefs are hoping to raise the rest of the money by obtaining a grant from either Veolia or Sport England.

The new skatepark will occupy the same site but is likely to be slightly larger. Metal ramps will be replaced with concrete ones to create a smoother and quieter ride.

Earlier this year a member of the newly-formed Skate Lymington highlighted the need for the existing facility to be replaced, citing rusting holes and ramps coming apart.

Town clerk Steve Cridland confirmed that the Government had given the council permission to borrow £100,000 from the Public Works Loan Board.

But he said the authority also needed to secure a £50,000 grant and added: “If we don’t get it we’ll have to go back to the drawing board.”