A PROPOSED skate park in Glusburn could fall foul of the Human Rights Act, a councillor has warned.

County councillor Phillip Barrett said the parish council should be "very careful" about its plans to build a skate park near to houses.

He added that it was not impossible the residents of Baxter Wood, whose back gardens border Glusburn Park, could sue the parish council for loss of amenities.

Three residents of Baxter Wood came to the parish council to protest about the planned skating area which they said would add to the noise and litter already coming from youths congregating in the park on an evening.

Stuart Armitage said: "I live in an adjacent property to the park. My major concern is the noise pollution aspect.

"There is already a nuisance because people drift up there on a Friday and Saturday evening and use it as an illicit drinking place.

"After the park is supposedly closed, large groups of people of varying ages come up there. The noise and supervision level would be a real problem.

"The proposed site for the wheel park is as near to the adjacent properties as you could possibly get."

The residents asked the parish council to reconsider the position of the proposed wheel park - some wanting it moved to the middle of the park, others in a more central position in the village.

Resident John Beaumont suggested converting an area of the car park at Glusburn Institute.

Coun Peter Seward said he was unhappy that the skating area would be in the park at all, saying it was "inadequately policed".

But chairman Gill Birks said that the plans had been discussed at length, and it had taken two years to get this far.

Coun Isobel Westhead added that this was a plan supported by most people in the village, and that three out of an electorate of 3,000 was only a small proportion of objection.

Mr Armitage replied that some of the residents were in their nineties and could not attend public meetings, but he could get a petition of hundreds if the parish council wanted to play "the numbers game".

Mr Beaumont added that as young people didn't pay rates, they shouldn't have "a vote".

Coun Birks responded: "Should it always be the case that young people should be put to one side so that old people can have their peace and quiet, because that's what's happening?"

Coun Barrett urged the parish council to consult fully on the proposal.

He said: "You should be open and transparent about this.

"You really ought to make a bigger attempt to actually contact the various people who it is going to affect and get their views.

"To some of the adjacent properties, it would be beneficial to consult on a one to one basis."

The council agreed to delay a motion to spend £11,000 on equipment for the skate park for two months.

It is awaiting a decision by Craven District Council over land that may come available to the parish for use as a recreation ground.