The fate of the skate park is raising much interest in the Ventnor Community today. This comment just in from Ventnorian Ken Knapman. Ed
Destruction of Ventnor Skate Park? It should not be allowed to pass!
The community built the Ventnor Skate Park for the youth. Instead of congratulating the efforts of the hard working people, who put so much into the park both in terms of its financing and its building, the Council has deemed to threaten those very same people with its immediate destruction. This is an act of vandalism, the very thing the facility was attempting to prevent.
Some questions have to be asked; who are the decision makers here? Who are the Council and councillors supposed to serve, them, or the community? Why are people left to fend for themselves and not be supported?
The Skate Park has a fairly long history; the park is built on council land. In that sense it is public property. In recent times the Skate Park has undergone renovation to make it bigger and better in consultation with what young people want in terms of its design etc.
Public meetings arose; even involving the then police community liaison officer when youth were seen to be without certain amenities in Ventnor and public order issues arose. Decisions were then taken to accommodate, amongst other things, the desire for the Skate Park to be updated. Certain councillors have never hidden their disdain and have frowned upon the skate park and in the April 14th Council meeting, voted to a man and woman for its eradication.
With this background, it is clear that the community wanted the skate park, took decisions to help in its renovation, raised funds via the good work of Ventnor Community Projects and now demand that its destruction should not pass. The community also insists on support for its efforts not only to maintain the park but also to continually improve the facility.
The community needs to come together to protest its rights, the rights of the youth for fully funded recreational facilities, the right to be part of the decision making process and not be overridden by the authorities who take arbitrary decisions.
Council bureaucrats have put forward that the site is unfinished and should be fenced off. This is known and the process goes on. They have also demanded that public liability insurance should be put in place. This is also known so why do the Council not do it? Are they penny pinching? The Community Projects have even offered to raise more funds for this very purpose. The Council cite various rules and regulations, then why do they not assist in this process? They want someone to license the park and they want to abdicate responsibility.
The Council should license the park and take responsibility. That is what councils are for, taking responsibility. They have the machinery and the solicitors who should be acting in the community interest and on its behalf. Council officials are running scared of todays litigates, they bow to the insurance companies who demand their pound of flesh when people want to organise a community event or facility. Community organisers are inundated with “Risk Assessments” and “Public liability”. Yet the Council have the resources and experience in many public projects to sort this out and this is what they should now do.
If the community is to be left to fend for itself on projects then corporate decisions should not be levelled against them. Decisions that hamper the progress of the community cannot be allowed to pass.
If they do then they become anti-democratic and a liability.
If you have a comment to make about the future of the Ventnor Skate Park, please add your comment to the post Ventnor Skate Park To Be Closed? Updated
