Skateboard park for Emsworth?

Improving Quality of Public Spaces is Focus of Liveability Scheme

Ken Gilchrist and Frances Jannaway

A skateboard park for the Horndean Recreation Ground has been proposed by the Emsworth Community Board as part of the Liveability Scheme. ‘Liveability’ is a central government (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) funding scheme for local authorities. Havant Borough Council is one of 27 authorities selected as pilots for this scheme. The prime focus of the scheme is to improve the quality of public spaces and the local environment.

Community Boards and Emsworth Community Board

Six Community Boards have been set up in Havant Borough to represent local opinions and aspirations, wants and needs. They do this through their members as representatives of the local population and through inviting the general public to their monthly meetings. The Emsworth Community Board was launched at a public meeting on 9 September 2004. It now has its full complement of 15 members and includes representatives from the Emsworth Residents’ Association, Emsworth Business Association, Neighbourhood Watch, Emsworth Community Association, Friends of Hollybank Woods, Brook Meadow Conservation Group and several individual residents, including one young person. For the first year, the Emsworth Community Board will be chaired by Councillor Virginia Wilson-Smith.
The first task of each Community Board is to spend £50,000 on improving public open space in their local area. In addition, the 6 Community Boards can nominate larger projects to be carried out within the Borough as a whole. This major capital funding is a little under £3 million. All projects in this scheme must be completed by March 2006.
The Community Boards have been set up for the longer term, past the Liveability Project. They will be able to determine longer-term priorities for their areas, make future bids for funding both from the Council and external bodies and provide advice to the Community Partnership (consisting of the Police, Primary Care Trust, the 6 Community Boards and the Council).

Emsworth Liveability Projects

Ten projects have been proposed by both members of the Emsworth Community Board and residents. After discussing each of the proposed projects, the Board voted unanimously to submit the following projects to the Council for assessment:
·    skateboard park + lighting;
·    interpretation boards for the nature conservation areas;
·    more seats in public areas;
·    public art in the form of a sculpture, possibly combined with a War Memorial.

Other projects can also be proposed for consideration by the Board before the end of January 2005. Before any of the major capital projects, such as the skateboard park, are finally approved, they will go through a process of consultation with young people and other residents of Emsworth to ensure that this is what the residents of Emsworth really want.

Wider Borough Liveability Projects

The Emsworth Community Board along with the 5 other Community Boards also have the task of coming up with ideas for projects for the Borough Wide Liveability Schemes. A workshop was organised by HBC on 6 December to develop ideas for these schemes. Seven members of the Emsworth Community Board took part in the workshop. A large number of ideas were developed within the context of ‘Urban Space and Streetscape’, ‘Gateways and Corridors’ and Open Space (parks, beaches, play areas). The ideas discussed which are relevant to Emsworth included:
·    addressing the problem of the main A259 underpass which many residents feel divides Emsworth;
·    cleaning up the other 3 underpasses, plus use of public art as in Waterlooville;
·    improving/removing signage;
·    improving gateways into the borough (both strategic and local);
·    improving corridors (main entrance roads) in the borough by planting trees suitable for each area;
·    improving roundabouts and cycle paths;
·    improving pavements and street furniture.
These ideas will be assessed by council officers to see if they are financially and technically feasible. The Council’s Executive hopes to agree major capital projects for funding at its meeting in March 2005.

Future Community Board Meetings

Look out for the yellow posters announcing the dates of future Emsworth Community Board meetings (usually once a month)