CINDERFORD Town Council is defying the austerity drive by funding a £120,000 park for skateboarders and BMX riders.

Council chairman Graham Morgan said the park, built by the same designers as a new Hereford skate park, would be the 'envy of the Forest'.

He added: "It's about time Cinderford had something decent. It's something the other Forest towns are desperate to do. We're in a brilliant position to do it."

Work could begin within weeks on building the 17m by 30m park on a derelict play area on the lower High Street, opposite Valley Road junction.

A group of children and adults has been working with police on the project for more than a year and will now finalise plans with Bristol-based skate park builders Wheelscape.

Skater Alan Grist, 46, from Belle Vue Road in Cinderford, has been one of the driving forces, along with his 15-year-old skater son Sam.

He said: "It gives us an amazing opportunity to have a good-quality park that will get kids off the street.

"This park will have all the rails and steps skaters need, which will mean they won't use the street. There will be a bowl, a bit like a sunken swimming pool, for more experienced riders and an area for novices and younger children to use."

A Gloucestershire Police spokesman said: "This is great news and will give youngsters a much-needed facility. PCSO for the area Dawn Teague has been working for some time with kids to find out exactly what they want and the sort of design they think would be best.

"Working closely with the community and partner bodies like the council to tackle anti-social behaviour on a long-term basis is a key aim of ours, and this is a great example of the benefits that can be gained from doing so."

Mr Grist, who builds mountain-bike trails in the Forest on a voluntary basis, said extreme sports such as skateboarding, in-line skating and BMX riding now appeal to adults as well as children.

"I regularly see people my age at the Hereford skate park," he said. "The users have helped design it, rather than the council just going ahead and building what it thinks skaters want.

"Councils used to build metal and wooden ramps which make a lot of noise, get damaged easily and aren't anywhere near as good to use as concrete. The Littledean skate park, for example, is hardly used."

The only town councillor to vote against the park, Coun Lloyd Wilce, sought assurances it would be "bomb-proof". He said: "It has to take a tank to demolish it, or it will be a waste of time and money."

Coun Di Martin argued: "With the loss of Splinters we need to be encouraging things for young people and all ages to do."