Councillors have hit out over the time taken to progress plans for the much anticipated Lyme Regis skatepark.

The decision to award the £150,000 contract to construction company Wheelscape was made at a full council meeting back in April – bringing to an end to the long-running campaign to have a skatepark at the Charmouth Road Car Park.

It was initially thought that 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.

However, town councillors were told at a strategy and policy committee meeting that problems with the planning application had caused delays and that, at the time of the meeting, the revised application had not yet been registered by West Dorset District Council.

A report put before councillors also stated: “The revised application for the skatepark was submitted on August 27 by Wheelscape.

“In submitting the revised application, Wheelscape did not address the issues flagged up by WDDC properly.

“They failed to correct the address on the planning application and did not attach the land stability report completed on their behalf.”

Councillors were left disappointed at the news with town clerk John Wright telling members that this had been ‘a cause of some frustration’.

Cllr Michaela Ellis said: “This is really concerning.

“Is the skatepark going to happen or isn’t it?

“We have employed somebody to do this that is not doing what we asked them to do.”

The report by John Wright added that once the registration of the planning application is complete, discussions will take place with the district council’s head of engineering projects to establish if any infrastructure gain can be obtained.

The town clerk will also discuss arrangements to endorse the transfer of the area identified for a skatepark in Charmouth Road car park from WDDC to the town council.

Mr Wright told members: “It’s important to note that WDDC are still very supportive of this project.

“I will endeavour to talk to WDDC officers as soon as possible regarding the car park transfer of land when a planning application has been heard.”

Back in May, skaters in Lyme Regis celebrated as they put their own personal touches to plans for the skatepark.

A group of nine young people from the town met with Wheelscape at the Marine Parade shelters.