A DEDICATED sports park area for Bere Alston has taken a major step forward, thanks to the backing of the parish council.

Bere Ferrers Parish Council has given the Wheeled Area Sports Park Supporters the go-ahead, in principle, to build a wheeled sports park at a site close to the cemetery, in the recreation field on the Down in Bere Alston.

Project co-ordinator Paul Graeme-Drury said the group is launching the project at a consultative meeting this Saturday, (March 15) at Bere Alston parish hall.

The meeting was a neighbourhood watch/WASPS meeting but would also give a chance for consultation with local people on what type of facility should be created and what sort of design used.

Mr Graeme-Drury said he hoped the area would strike a balance between being used by extreme sport fans and other types of users as well.

?A skateboard park would be brilliant for the extreme users, but we do not have a safe place in the village where a child can learn to ride a bike. We want to facilitate all sorts of wheeled users.?

He said the area could also be used by bikes, scooters and wheelchair users.

Mr Graeme-Drury added that the police and neighbourhood watch supported the idea as it would reduce problems of young people having nowhere to go in the evenings ? the village?s community policemen PC Rick Hartigan would be attending the meeting to give his backing.

Cllr Christine Grills said she welcomed the scheme as it would give bored young people in the area something positive to do.

?If they have got somewhere they can go it has got to be a good thing. I think it is a good idea. I hope it is well-supported,? she said.

Mr Graeme-Drury said any young people who wanted to see the wheeled sports area built in Bere Alston should come along to the meeting and register their interest to show there was a demand for the facility.

A feasibility study into the scheme, funded by the South West Rural Development Agency via the Tamar Community Futures Coastal and Market Towns Initiative has now been completed.

Anyone who would like to view the report or get involved with the project please contact Paul Graeme-Drury on 01822 840941.

The consultation meeting will take place at the parish hall between 9.30am and 12.30pm, this Saturday.