THE scheme to construct a skate park in the village of Addingham has suffered a further setback with councillors expressing dismay at the mounting cost.

Creating an access to the skating area from the Memorial Hall car park could cost almost as much as the skate park itself, parish council chairman Gordon Campbell told colleagues.

The skate park area would cost an estimated £3,900 plus VAT to construct in a field behind the Memorial Hall on Main Street but a permanent Tarmacadam access would add another £3,300 to the bill.

Parish councillor Sheila Hamilton expressed dismay at the mounting cost of the project.

She said: "Every time we come to a meeting the costs seem to be increasing. Are we going to meet the full cost? The expenditure has been increased each time we have met."

Coun Campbell said that no other funding had been obtained for the scheme and it would have to be paid for from parish council funds. Once the skating area had been created, the Addingham Skate Park Association would raise funds to buy equipment, such as ramps.

Councillor Alan Jerome questioned the need to create a permanent Tarmacadam path once the lorries had moved off the site.

He said: "All we need to do is produce a way in. We don't need a permanent path. Once the lorries have gone, it can be put back to grass. The £3,000 to produce a Tarmacadam road is an irrelevance.

"I don't understand the need to produce another path in the area other than walking on the grass. I don't see any logic to it at all."

The parish council could consider cheaper options for the pathway including wood chips or gravel. The man heading the Addingham Skate Park Association, Andy Brown, has stated that a path was needed from the Memorial Hall car park to prevent mud being brought on to the skating area, rendering it useless.

Councillor Stephen Crossley-Smith suggested that the site chosen for the skate park was perhaps not the ideal one in the village.

He suggested an alternative site close to the youth club and primary school on Bolton Road, but David Cansfield, Bradford Council recreation manager, told the meeting this site would not be popular with the school authorities because it would attract youngsters to an area around the school at times when there was no-one on the premises to prevent damage being caused.

Coun Campbell agreed to get some more costings for the project and ask one of the other parish councillors to produce a skate park plan of the area to use in future discussions.

After the meeting Mr Brown told the Gazette that he was frustrated at the length of time the project was taking to get off the ground.

He became involved in the project because his son, Jason, was a keen skateboarder and he and his friends had nowhere to go in the village to practise their hobby properly or without causing a nuisance to residents.

The project was started 18 months ago and had not moved very far forward since the idea was approved in principle by villagers and the parish council.

Mr Brown said: "I must admit to being quite frustrated. I have put a great deal of effort into it. I am wondering now what the heck we are supposed to do?

"Villages like Addingham can get old. You have got to look after the kids or they will move away. I am at a bit of a loss at what to do."

He said that he was pleased to hear about the progress being made in Ilkley to get its skate park project up and running.