Members of Chichester District Council’s (CDC) Cabinet will be recommended next Tuesday (February 9) to give the go ahead to the town council’s application to use district council land at the Sylvia Beaufoy Youth Club. If the cabinet agrees it will be subject to planning permission and agreement on site management. But it is the biggest step forward since 2001 when the district council set aside £50,000 for a skatepark project. In 2003 designs and costs were prepared and planning permission was granted. But in a report to cabinet members sport and leisure development manager Sarah Peyman said: “There was a condition on the planning permission at the youth club requiring the skatepark to be locked overnight. “Petworth Town Council was unable to comply with this condition and this resulted in the skatepark not progressing any further.” The project was reborn last year when new members of the town council informed CDC they wanted to go back to the drawing board. Sites at Hampers Common,the former Herbert Shiner school, Rosemary Gardens, South Drive and to the east of the telephone exchange have all been investigated and discarded. Their favoured site means the loss of five disabled car parking spaces. Although the town council has carried out ‘significant’ consultation the report says: “It appears to be silent on the involvement of the Sylvia Beaufoy youth club” and suggests the town council should seek support from the club. CDC’s community engagement team would be “more reassured if this proposal was welcomed and encouraged by the club or even led by the club.” Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live. Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on. 1) Make our website your homepage at www.midhurstandpetworth.co.uk/ 2) Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MidhurstandPetworthObserver 3) Follow us on Twitter @mid_pet_obs 4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here. And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out! The Midhurst and Petworth Observer - always the first with your local news. Be part of it.
