Youth views

We were informed a skatepark was to be built after a discussion by the council with young people. But I was not aware of any consultation with the local taxpaying residents.

After submitting a petition and meeting our councillors and leisure portfolio holder, it was agreed a meeting would be held on the fields. This was held on October 8 and a large amount of residents and children attended, e-mailed and wrote. A large amount of residents felt this was the wrong location.

The young people, after seeing the proposed site in the dark, agreed the position was not ideal and they raised concerns over the secluded site and the possible problems it would cause.

A second meeting was set up that month and it was agreed a petition would ask for an alternative area to be considered. Also the young people agreed to decide exactly what they wanted and submit this to the council. We heard nothing further from them.

In January the council advised us that, due to residents' objections, the portfolio holder would recommend the park should not be agreed.

Now the issue has been raised by a different group of young people, presenting another petition. Most of these did not attend previous meetings.

Are these young people serious? Why were they not involved with the consultations last year? The majority who did attend put their point across very well and we had a good chat with them.

While we agree these are not the problem youngsters, how will they manage the yobs that will congregate there, when the police and council have had to pass a bylaw to deal with those outside Asda and Sainsbury's?

Does the council think that creating a skatepark in Brighton Hill, Hatch Warren or Kempshott will alleviate the yob problems? We already have skate-parks. Take a look at them when it's wet and cold - are they being used? Take a look when it's dark - would you like your children unsupervised there?

The area they would like turned into a park is currently a home ground for a local football team and is used by young and old for many activities. How many people will lose out?

Let's get a decent, safe and managed facility that can be used by all the youth of Brighton Hill, Hatch Warren and Kempshott, not just the skaters.

How about Asda and Sainbury's adding to the council's budget to try to solve the yob problem? And can we give some thought to extending the opening hours and activities of The Dome?

We invite the youngsters and residents concerned to share their ideas with us at bhyouthfacilities@hotmail.com

-Resident of Novello Close, Brighton Hill, Basingstoke.

Sir.-I am writing to display my disgust with the articles concerning the youth problems associated with the local supermarkets.

Local youths and parents say they are "innocent and wrongly accused".

But these children have been camping in the local primary school, St Mark's, lighting fires and shouting abusive swear words early in the morning. When somebody asked them to move on, they replied by throwing stones at their window.

-Name and address withheld

Sir.-With regard to recent letters complaining about the lack of things for teenagers to do in Basingstoke.

We, at The Cavaliers, think we have the perfect answer to this problem, in helping youngsters to learn a variety of musical instruments from most brass, trumpets, baritones etc, as well as a full range of percussion instrumentation - drums, marimba, xylophone, timpani - or perhaps dance, flag or rifle work.

All equipment is provided free of charge, as is instruction from a dedicated team of voluntary musicians. We travel around the UK competing in the summer, and try to attend competitions in Europe whenever possible.

Any youngster interested in joining the team is welcome to call in at Costello Technology College on Wednesdays, from 7pm to 9pm, or contact me on 01256 422731 for a chat.

-Lee Hendle, Corps Director, The Cavaliers, Beech Way, Basingstoke.

Sir.-I applaud The Gazette's call for action on youth. This is one of the most pressing problems Basingstoke faces.

Despite this, the borough council is looking at axing the planned youth facilities in Beggarwood and Chineham, which were to have been funded with money given by local developers.

It is of deep concern that the borough council does not feel it is a priority to provide these facilities for young people.

Residents throughout Kempshott, Chineham, Hatch Warren and Beggarwood know first-hand the problem of young people with nowhere to go. Young people living in these areas know first-hand the lack of facilities available.

Why axe facilities that were part of the original development plan? Why hold yet another "consultation" when plans are already available?

Residents want action, not more words.

The council needs to reinstate the money for facilities in Beggarwood and Chineham so the residents can have what they were promised and young people can have what they so clearly need.

-Maria Miller, Parliamentary Candidate for Basingstoke.

Sir.-At a meeting of residents and council officials, held at the Hatch Warren Community Centre, a delegation of skateboard enthusiasts were asked what they wanted and these lads surprised many of us with the way in which they stated their case clearly and concisely.

But, interestingly, a Brighton Hill skatepark was not what they wanted.

We were all like-minded in that we both suggested a better site would be at Down Grange and that perhaps a CCTV link and lighting could ensure a safe and secure area was provided.

Down Grange is also better-placed to provide facilities to a wider area such as Hatch Warren, Kempshott and Buckskin.

If our elected councillors are really serious about listening to the wants of the younger generation, they should at the very least carry out a feasibility study on the Down Grange site.

My worry is not the problems skateboarders might cause but the slightly older groups, some of whom would surely take over this site and intimidate the younger users, then create their own drinking and drug-taking area.

I feel the area should be supervised - look at any of the local play areas in the evenings.

An argument I have often heard is that there is nothing to do in the Brighton Hill area and I do sympathise with this. But there are many organisations the youngsters can join and have far more fun than they will ever get from spending all their time skateboarding. Scouts, Guides, Army Cadets, Sea Cadets, St John Ambulance and Red Cross, to name but a few, all provide fun by the bucket-load.

To the skateboarders I say: "I am on your side, but let's get the right site from the start and make it a fun but safe facility."

-Eddie Lee, Brighton Hill, Basingstoke.