PLANNERS will visit Okehampton this month to help them decide whether to approve a new skate park.

A group of young people who use the town's current skate park have been working alongside the youth team of Devon County Council and OCRA to gain funding for a new facility, aiming to build a modern skate park in the town.

The project has also had support from Room 13, which has acted as a base for fundraising events.

If approved the park would be built on land to the rear of Brayhams Terrace, adjacent to the town's current skate park facility.

The park would consist of a mixture of ramps, rails and stairs, with the ramps to be constructed from sprayed concrete.

If given the go-ahead, the park would provide additional facilities to cater for skaters and riders of all abilities. Youngsters involved have consulted all residents of Brayhams Terrace to find out their views on the park.

Ethan Foster, one of the young people involved, spoke to borough councillors at their latest planning committee meeting. He told them: 'We have been working since 2009 and working very hard to make the skate park a reality. We have had a lot of support from local organisations.

'The project would support local shops, as skaters would buy food and drinks — we get hungry.

'The skate park we have at the moment is not exactly safe. There are cracks in the concrete, which if a skater hits, can make them fall off, and it is really painful.

'It is dangerous. The ramps are made of metal. In the summer, the ramps get very hot, and if you fall on them, that can be very painful too.

'The park would give us a place to go. The current park is not good, and we often go to the streets to skate. This gets young people a reputation around the town, but we want somewhere good to skate, to stop this.

'As a group we are committed to the park moving forward, and making it a safe and friendly environment for people, and we feel it would strongly benefit the town.'

Councillors are to visit the site to assess the impact on neighbouring homes and to make a decision in September.