YOUNGSTERS desperate for somewhere to ride their BMX bikes were out in force at a public meeting on possible future uses for Barnoldswick's Victory Park.

Pendle Council is looking at various options to improve the park, which could include developing a "wheel park" for use by cycles, skateboards, in-line skates and so on.

The idea certainly caught the attention of the town's BMX bikers, with around 40 of them turning up at Tuesday's meeting.

Councillors have been working with local sports groups to come up with various options as a platform to generate ideas. The options centre on making better use of the pitch and putt course, and building a new pavilion with better changing facilities.

It is also hoped the improvements could provide a home for the West Craven Warriors amateur rugby league club, which has been searching in vain for a suitable site since it was founded.

One option would be to provide a rugby pitch on the pitch and putt course, possibly with a training pitch. Another idea is to relocate the cricket club to a new and improved ground on the pitch and putt course, and build a rugby pitch on the current cricket field.

Opening the meeting, Coun Margaret Bell stressed it was really up to the people using the park what would happen to it.

Coun David Whipp added that it could include new uses like a wheel park or multi-purpose play area, and improvements to existing uses like the bowling green.

He said: "What we want to do is put the best package forward that will first get the backing of people in Barnoldswick, second get the backing and involvement of the people who use the park, and third get us hundreds of thousands of pounds of lottery funding."

One of the first to speak at the meeting was James Kinder, one of the young bikers.

"What we need is a trials course for BMX bikes to keep us off the streets and stop us getting done by the police," he said.

Support came from one of the adults, John Staveley, who said the youngsters had nowhere legitimate to go in Barnoldswick. He said the underused crazy golf area could be developed to stop nuisance in other parts of the town.

"If you make them a proper area and make it floodlit, they'll be down here all day and all night," he said.

Local resident, Craig Toon, asked if there would be screening between the new facilities and houses bordering the park. Pendle's parks officer, Colin Patten, said any scheme would include landscaping to protect nearby residents.

Steven Norcross said the pitch and putt course was quite well used by golfers and walkers, but there was no-one at the meeting to protest at its possible loss. However, Alan Oyston said it was well-used by people exercising their dogs - a legitimate use, provided they cleaned up the mess.

Mr Patten said he hoped any redevelopment would still cater for responsible dog owners, and by landscaping the area it could make it a more interesting place to walk.

There was some doubt cast on whether a bigger or better cricket field could be built on the pitch and putt course, and Ernest Spencer doubted the club would want to move after more than 80 years at its current site within the park. He added that a shared pavilion would not work in practice: "If it's a mixed bunch of people looking after it, it will not work," he said. "It never does."

He added: "All the committee men I've talked to (at the cricket club) want no part in moving whatsoever. What they do want is help to improve our present facilities."

Fred Greenwood said what West Craven's sportsmen and women really needed was an all-weather floodlit facility. Coun Whipp said moves were in hand to try to get such a facility at the town's West Craven Sports Centre, and Rolls-Royce was also "well down the line" with a bid for funding for one at its sports grounds.

The meeting closed with several people agreeing to join the informal working group to come up with a scheme and a lottery bid.

Finally, Lynn James, secretary of Barnoldswick United, said it could be years before any work took place, and asked if something could be done for the youngsters in the short term. Coun Bell promised to look into the possibility of establishing a wheel park as a priority.