SKATERS in Lyme Regis celebrated as final design plans for the much-anticipated town skatepark were put into place.

A group of nine young people from the town met with Wheelscape, the construction company for the skatepark, to add their own personal touches to the designs before they are submitted to West Dorset District Council within the next two weeks.

Wheelscape’s lead designer of the skatepark, Jeremy Donaldson, said ideas submitted by the group at the meeting consisted of trying to add more street features.

He told the Lyme Regis News: “The ideas the skaters had were about bringing things they loved from the streets of Lyme to the skatepark.

“The skatepark now means that skaters in Lyme can skate safely in a much better environment.”

Lyme Regis skater Miles Ford, 17, hailed the skatepark designs as ‘fantastic’.

He added: “I’ve been part of the campaign to get the skatepark going; it will be the best thing that’s happened to Lyme Regis.

“The skatepark will save a lot of us the commuting costs to the Dorchester skatepark and there are definitely enough people to use it – making it so worthwhile.

“When we’re gone it will also inspire the next generation of skaters.”

Harry Pearce, also 17, said the skatepark will bring new people to the town and added: “It will finally give young people in Lyme Regis something to do and a new place to go.”

The first young skaters could be showing off their stunts by Christmas at the park, which is being made to echo the wall of Lyme’s iconic Cobb.

The decision to award the £150,000 contract to construction company Wheelscape was made at a full council meeting in early April, which was greeted with cheers by a group of young skaters.

The decision brings an end to the long-running campaign to have a skatepark at the Charmouth Road Car Park.

Wheelscape manager Matthew Hewitt said: “We look forward to developing the design with the local wheeled sports community and hope this facility generates significant interest from the surrounding area.”

Town clerk John Wright, youth worker Harry Warren, Cllr Mark Gage and Steven Sherlock from Beauchamps charter surveyors also attended the meeting, which was held at the Marine Parade Shelters.

Cllr Mark Gage told the meeting: “The next big milestone we face is when the skatepark plans go to the planning committee in Dorchester.

“It is important therefore that we show the committee the incredible level of support for the skatepark, so we are looking for as many supporters and their families as possible to attend.”

He had also previously praised the fundraising effort for the skatepark by the local community, and labelled giving the project the green light as a ‘historic decision’.