PLANS for a new skate park in Highworth are a step closer to becoming reality after the borough deemed the development lawful.

This effort has taken years and come up against various hurdles but the newest attempt by a community group to get it off the ground has been more successful than any other.

News of the approval went down well among the Skateboard Committee group’s members and supporters.

Nick Costello said: “This is excellent news for our community and the people of Highworth.

Cheryl Costello said: “We are now in a position to approach potential funders for the project. This is very much now a reality that a skatepark will be built in Highworth. Thank you all for your continued support.”

Rosemarie Saunders said: “At last! So proud of my son Mark Saunders who has wanted this for over 30 years and worked so hard with others to make it happen. Well done everyone.”

Ryan Blackwell said: “Fantastic news. It’s going to be great for Highworth’s young people and old for that matter. Well done to all concerned, a great achievement.”

Teresa Triggs said: "Fantastic news, well done and thank you for all your hard work."

The group must now look for funding to cover the costs of building the skate park which is expected to be around £100,000.

Highworth Town Council leases the land at the Highworth lower recreation field near Swindon Road from Swindon Borough Council, which is where the skate park will be built.

A neighbour on Shrivenham Road raised concerns about noise but concluded: "Wherever the skate park is located, we strongly feel that it should be a managed resource so that children of all ages and abilities are able to enjoy the facility and that their parents can feel confident that the park will provide a safe and secure environment for many years to come."

Earlier this year, the town council submitted an application for a Certificate of Lawfulness on behalf of the Skateboard Committee.

The land is designated for leisure use so it was advised that a full planning application would not be necessary.

The town council successfully negotiated with the borough for permission to have the site redeveloped.

Councillors then obtained a certificate of lawful development which has now been officially validated.

More than 160 people from the town attended a public consultation about the proposed park last month and offered comments.

The council will manage and maintain the skate park which is expected to take up around 125.4 cubic metres of space.

Before now, the closest the town came to having a skate park built was in 2012, when plans to build it at the community centre near Northview Primary School fell through at the last minute.