A north-east dad has launched a petition to provide the neighbouring towns of Banff and Macduff with a new skate park.
Offshore worker Barry Stevenson’s two young sons currently use a facility near the home of Deveronvale Football Club.
But, last night, Mr Stevenson said the facilities at the site were no longer meeting the needs of the wider public.
As a result, he hopes to generate public backing with a vision of funding a new park for the next generation of skaters.
So far, more than 100 people have signed his petition which has been active since Thursday.
Mr Stevenson said yesterday: “My kids Noah, seven, and Caleb, four, both enjoy going to the skate park in Banff to play on their scooters and skateboards.
“But the Banff park has been there since 2005 and it is past its best. There is not a lot there, and there is broken glass and nails from the broken fence which makes it pretty unsafe as well.
“The main aim here is to provide a safe and fun place for the local kids to come and practice their skills – it will hopefully be able to cater for them all and for all levels of ability.”
Similar community-driven schemes have proved a success elsewhere, including the creation of amenities in Buckie and Oldmeldrum.
Mr Stevenson added: “The skate parks in Buckie and Oldmeldrum have been very successful and I think, given the size of Banff and Macduff, and surrounding nearby villages, that a new park would be very popular.”
He is now urging people who would use the new facility or who would like to help make it a reality to sign up to the project through its Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MacBanffSkateparkProject
A link to the petition is available on the page.
