OBJECTORS to a proposed scheme that could see a skateboarding facility put in a toddlers' play park made their feelings plain to Berkeley Town Council on Monday.

More than 20 people, mainly from Park View Road, attended the meeting to demonstrate opposition to council plans to add a small facility to the play area.

The council wants to go ahead by the end of August to use a £3,600 grant before it is lost.

Resident Ron Gammon said: "The youth of this town need our support and the residents of Park View Road are not against Berkeley having a skatepark. But we are very concerned about having a play park for toddlers next to a skatepark."

Fellow resident John Skidmore then told the council he thought it was rushing through the plans and undoing its previous good work.

He said: "Just for the sake of getting rid of £3,000 you are trying to force the skate park there. If it was an ideal place, then we'd all say well done but it is not.

"You made a massive step forwards with the play area but you are now making a massive mistake."

Residents highlighted dangers to toddlers of flying skateboards, how older children would frighten off the younger ones and how the play park would further lapse into a venue for under-age drinking.

One said: "It is already a no go area for young children after six o'clock. They are just frightened away from it."

Mr Gammon then gave a stark warning to the council, saying: "If any of my grandchildren were injured by a skateboard down there, the council can expect legal action. I will sue you."

As the issue was an agendaed item councillors could not discuss the matter until after public participation.

When they did chairman Cllr Ralph Pinnell told residents what the current situation was.

He stated: "We have suggested that we put a skatepark into the Park View play area. We have looked elsewhere but can find no other place for it."

He then explained that, if all safety and planning laws were met, the facility would indeed be installed there.

However, residents did not accept all other sites had been fully examined and they repeated it was certainly not acceptable to use Park View just because it was the last possible option.

With residents feeling the council had already decided the issue was done and dusted the debate became extremely heated, with residents and councillors both guilty of talking over the top of each other.

In fact, tensions rose so much that Cllr Pinnell told one of the residents to "listen and stop gobbing off all the time".

When proceedings calmed down again residents suggested the council could look to have a joint skatepark venture with neighbouring parishes and they also asked if options to have it at Berkeley Primary School or at other sites could be re-examined.

Cllr Pinnell agreed to do as they requested, although these options had been blocked in the past.

He promised: "This issue will not be steam-rollered through. I will talk to the school and the power station again."

The coluncil will also attempt to organise a public meeting at which residents would be able to have a full discussion with members.