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Contractors blamed for state of park
Furious Chorley residents have hit back at claims that vandals have wrecked a skate park and have insisted that contractors are to blame.
The chairman and secretary of the Chorley Moor Residents Group claim that the state of the Buttermere skate park and play area can't be blamed on the youngsters who use the facility, but instead Chorley Council, which is responsible for building it.
The pair said that the park, which cost more than 200,000 to install, has never been finished - with parts of the old play area posing a threat to health and safety.
Secretary Ayshea Clegg, whose home in Buttermere Avenue overlooks the skate park, said: "It is not vandals who are making the skate park a no-go area, it is the people who were responsible for building it.
"The surface is full of pot holes - you can't ride your bike across it.
"The park opened last year, but it has never been finished and we want the work to be done so that it can be something people living in the area can be proud of.
"Litter is an issue on the park, but it is only this week that a bin has finally been installed. Also, the play equipment that they have put on the park is not suitable for the younger children who are too small to use the bucket swing."
Neighbour and chairman of the residents group, Lisa McDermott added: "It is the contractors who have left the park in a mess.
"We want the park to be finished in time for summer so that the children can enjoy it. We don't have problems with gangs, it's just lads playing football and they even call for my son to ask him to join in."
Coun John Walker, Chorley Council's executive member for people, said: "The people who used the play area told us they didn't like the old equipment and that it wasn't suitable for their age group.
"That's why we asked them what they wanted - now we've provided that the play area is very popular and has had very little vandalism.
"We felt it was important to focus on the young people's wishes and given the cost of the equipment it's not been possible to replace the surface. However, once more funding becomes available we intend to put a new surface down.
"We admit there have been problems with litter but we are actively working to sort these issues out."
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Weather for Chorley
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -2 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: West
