KEEN skateboarders in Addingham will have wait a while longer to test their skills on the latest equipment

The installation of ramps, rails and other obstacles at Addingham's skate park has been delayed by City Hall red tape.

A village charity has agreed to stump up the bulk of the £14,000 for equipment at the skate park behind the Memorial Hall car park but organisers have been told they need to submit a planning application to install it.

The skate park was opened in summer last year but youngsters soon got bored with the flat piece of land and reverted to annoying residents by skateboarding all over the village.

One of the trustees of the Addingham Millennium Charity which is providing the cash for the news equipment is parish councillor Alan Jerome.

He told the council meeting last week: "We need a planning application and planning approval, which is a pain, but we have to do it.

"Hopefully it will happen by Spring Bank Holiday towards the end of May - the money is available.

"If we had not needed planning approval we would have had it during the next three to four weeks."

Coun Jerome said he had met some of the skateboarders and they had signed undertakings only to skate on the designated area and not to skateboard on other sites in the village.

They had also agreed that once the equipment was installed not to bring additional obstacles on to the skate boarding area and not to interfere or move other village objects such as seats to try out their skills.

The youngsters had also agreed to act responsibly in the village.

Coun Jerome said: "They were a very nice lot despite what is said about them."

Many villagers have questioned whether the skateboarders should have been given a large amount of money to get the equipment when there were many other projects in the village needing cash.

Their behaviour had also alienated many villagers who felt they were being held up to ransom by the youngsters.

Parish councillor Danny Palmer said: "Several people have asked why has this money suddenly become available.

"Where has the money come from, and why has it not been made available to other projects in the village?"

But Coun Jerome said those comments were not correct because money from the same charity had been donated to the Silsden Road Recreation Ground play equipment project.

He said: "The fact that this charity exists does not have to be public knowledge and it is up to the trustees to give to whom they want when they want."

Councillor Jerome said that the skateboarders had raised some money themselves for the equipment and had promised to use the flat area to skate on until it had been installed.

He has also asked the parish council to consider buying a cup which could be competed for by village skateboarders.