General Discussion
Skatepark
Just spend some time at a skate park and watch the talent that is there it is not easy to do what we do it takes skill balance and time it is much better than drinking and fighting a skate park means we can improve our skills but it still wont stop us riding street it just a diferent style of riding.
I agree....it is very skillful. You only have to look at the development of skating from the 70's to Tony Hawk to see how important a lifestyle it has become. But it is worrying that our local councillors believe they have represented ALL the youth of Dawlish with a skate park, when they should be doing so much more for the young people of our town.
Sadly, i think our councillors beleive they have fulfilled their obligations to the young people of Dawlish.
Also, you can bet your life that the councillors wanted a skate park to keep the skaters off the streets. They've got no chance! Street skating is a big part of skating culture.
I agree with what you say about the skills required for skating and bmx biking. However, it wasn't the councillors that brought this project to Dawlish. It was our excellent PCSO Gary Cairns who started this project and put the majority of the work in, together with the local Youth Project workers. This is not being funded for by the councillors in anyway whatsoever, as you probably know, the grant was won by a public vote.
WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE BUILT, is the question on everyones lips and just doesnt seem to be moving. I hear some ridiculous health and safety issues re: cricket balls may have held it up. Well, if we dont get a move on soon surely we will be past the deadline when the money should have been spent.
Come on lets get past the red tape and get on with it!!!!
Why didn't they get the planning permission and other red tape sorted out before applying for a lottery fund.
In Holland and Germany they have them everywhere
and kids also skate in the street nobody complains
Its not the planning permission that is the problem, this was granted ages ago, but some very last minute red tape issues at the council, that wouldn't be foreseen in anyones imagination.
There are certain departments at Teignbridge District Council and a few of the top councillors, who think they are a law unto themselves.
The Legal and Democratic dept is just one.
Civil servants are just that, they are not our masters, unless you let them belive that they are.
Councillors are voted in (unless they enter the fray unopposed, which many of them do)are there to represent your interests not their own.
It is a complicated business, is Local Government, but that is the way they like it as it causes so much confusion.
Ring up and complain about your refuse collection and you find yourself talking to the coffee machine.
Does Scarlett ask a question out of genuine inquiry? Or is it a Dawlish Town Council lackey ferreting about? Are you of the Pimpernel variety?
Scarlett is asking a genuine question which is: if you know the reason for the delay why don't you tell us what it is?
Look at it this way, if councillors can con adults most of the time, they will have no trouble in conning the kids.
Councillors are there to improve their life styles, not yours.
How long ago was it that your beloved council upted the grant (After there was uproar over the miserly ammount they pledged) for a Youth Center from £30,000 to £150,000? Have you got a new Youth Center?
How long did it take to replace the burnt items in the play park at the Manor?
If it was a councillors car that got burnt, they would have arranged for a courtesy car immediately.
Listen to the diatribe that you get from some of them and their followers and you would think that we have the best of everything---all of the time, instead of getting nothing most of the time.
I was informed by the town council that they were waiting for planning permission this could have been for the trees to be cut down, whatever it is everything should have been placed in order before the fund was granted.
I am under the impression there is a time limited for the park to be built, if the money has to be returned, will the interest it must have accrude have to be handed over or will the council keep it.
Was it obtained under false pretences
Planning permission was granted, trouble was, there were flaws in it.
If I remember rightly, the planning application said on a former childrens play area. We all know now that it is not the former childrens play area,---- is it?
Well exactly Olive, we won the grant fair and square and the council just dont seem to be actioning anything! I, for one, have a son anxious for this skate park to be built and was ecstatic when we won the funds, but what is happening, a big ZILCH, nothing, and for goodness sake hurry up council what excuse do you have??? Thank goodness for PCSO Gary Cairns who is arranging the temporary skate park for the next few weeks, but we have to pay a very nominal amount for, but HURRRY UP DAWLISH TOWN COUNCIL and use these funds which were won ages ago and GET ON WITH BUILDING THE SKATE PARK!!!
Where I came from, parents catered for their ofsprings needs, not the local authority.
The parents were provided with part of a fenced off car park and the parents built the equipment at their expense.
Why do some people expect others to cater for their needs at tax-payers expense?
A skate park is for a tiny minority of children in Dawlish, why should the majority get involved?
Once again Dawlish Town Council prove how useless they are. Isn't it amazing how projects which personally benefit them come to fruition, while other projects fall by the way-side or are dragged out in the hope they are forgotten.
What happened to the promised Youth Club? The Council slyly down-graded to a Skate Park, but the present situation only highlights their incompetence.
If only councillor/mayor Protheroe had pursued building a Youth Club with the same fervour he used to build his holiday apartments.
So much for caring about the youth of Dawlish.
Dawlish Town Council are a sham....but the real travesty is how many residents of Dawlish are sucked in by the Councils regular public relation exercises in the local press.
A few email addresses of town councillors to let them know how you feel
Mary.Mugford@ntlworld.com
geoff@ccz.eclipse.co.uk
HClemens@teignbridge.gov.uk
RProwse@teignbridge.gov.uk
and the MP yrossr@parliament.uk
Devon County Councillor John Clatworthy john.clatworthy@devon.gov.uk
If you want any more try contacting
http://www.sandylane.btik.com/enquiry/home.ikml
as they may know more email addresses to send comments.
I contacted Teignbridge on 10th March and was told the skate park was due to be started in May.
I will get in touch again and see what excuse they come up with.
I have just been in touch with Teignbridge and have been told the building of the skate park is nothing to do with them.
It's the Action for youth committee that hold all the information ,so if anyone knows anyone on the committee perhaps they can shed a little light on why the delay!
I have just Googled Dawlish Action for youth skate park, came up with Teignbridge Planning applications.
Permission granted 6.2.2008 ?
Dawlish Action for Youth are c/o the Manor House.
It is either the Town council or the Group who are dragging their heels.
Nice thought as it is what is the point of building a temporary skate park, if the permission is granted and the money there for a permanent one to be built, will it not be playing into those who hold the powers hands
I suggest everyone contact the group the council and our MP
hi all i know there are frustratis linked with the skate park being built. if anyone has any concerns then email me at jennismith1985@hotmail.co.uk and i shall shed light on how things are going.
its all you saying wheres this wheres that but does anyone actually knows what goes into something like this, all the policics etc? i dont think people understand how much volunteers of the youth charity etc and town council, devon county and teignbridge are hurrying this along but unfortautly drawing up agreements etc takes time and dont appear out of think air,if your so keen on wanting things done then why dont you put your name forward and ask if there is anything you can do to help instead of moaning about it. i am one of these people invoved and have been for 10 years woring towards the youth of dawlish and yet i am stll one myself (just). the skate park will start hopefully the beginning of july once everything is in place, but this will eb in the dawlish gazette to let people know whats going on. there has already been a press realease updating the progress although this might seem slow it is actually going quickly.
if you google for dawlish action for youth then our website should come up if not its www.dawlishaction4youth.org.uk. its updated often so hopefully this will help
The following has been taken from the dawlish youth web site.
Police have teamed up with skateboarders in Dawlish to set up a monthly course after complaints about youngsters using the seafront.Neighbourhood beat manager Kevin Parsons and police community support officer Gary Cairns have enlisted the support of residents and partner agencies to set up the event at Dawlish Leisure Centre, in Sandy Lane. Police are helping to train some of the skaters to run the course and will be taking them to represent Teignbridge in the qualifiers for the Devon Youth Games next month. The temporary equipment is set up once a month in the leisure centre car park.
PCSO Cairns said: "I've been working with the skaters for some time now in relation to clashes they sometimes have with other local residents on Dawlish seafront. It seemed the only solution was to have a purpose- built skate park. We are a little way off a permanent fixture, so we managed to get some funding from Devon County Youth Services and Dawlish Town Council. This has allowed us to buy some temporary equipment.
"Teignbridge District Council has also kindly given us permission to use the public car park."
Cynisism here before someone else makes a comment.
I wonder who has the authority on Teignbridge to do that?
What other group of children in Dawlish get special favours made by Teignbrige?
All the children in Dawlish are not skate boarders----are they?
What other group of children in Dawlish get special favours made by Teignbrige?
All the children in Dawlish are not skate boarders----are they?
none probably, we dont get special favours from anyone. its just the way its worded for the press release. i agree the young people are not all skaters but dont forget theres a youth centre in dawlish too
dont forget theres a youth centre in dawlish too
Really! and where might that be? Oh don't tell me --------it is Dawlish Community College?
no its called youth-toia down near the manor gardens. if you go down by the brook in dawlish walking towards the manor play park you will go under an arch way where cab of dawlish is upstairs and downstairs is the youth cafe. its been there 10 years so im surprized you dont about it, and dawlish community college aint that bad.
Viaduct - if you have a problem with Dawlish Community College I suggest you try to get it resolved by letting the college know just what your problem is.
I wish people on this forum would read what I said instead of dreaming what I said.
And some people's description of something is a little confusing.
Youth Topia is a youth center is it? What youth activities take place there then? I suggested Dawlish Community College as a place where the youth of Dawlish congregate---well they do don't they? I never infered there was anything wrong with the college either.
yes youth-topia is a youth centre, it has many activities. why dont you drop down there and find out whats going on.
The present Youth Club is the size of a hut! This limits what Dawlish should be offering it's youngsters. Not every teenager in the town wants to skate!
Why hasn't mayor Protheroe gone through all the same loopholes he did with his apartments, to build the Youth Club Dawlish was promised ages ago? Speaks volumes about our councillors and their 'greed and personal gain' culture.
Instead of hiding their heads in the sand (note-this may not be possible in dawlish warren!), parents of Dawlish youth need to be questioning their councillors regularly about what is being done for their children.
various activities, we are currently running 2 advice sessions and many more activities. to find out exactly whats going on you need to pop down as it varies from week to week depending on the age group thats in there and the topics/subjects they want to target. in regards to the youth centre being build, you try and find money out of thin air? money for youth centres dont appear from money trees, trust me if they did then we would have ours.
trying to find money for anything youth wise is hard as funders are not funding youth projects and it gets increasingly hard for someone to find money that isnt about. when there is money about for things like youth centres there is alot of people going for it and the chances of getting the money is very slim and if you do your one of the lucky few. but these opportunities come around once a year.
From your response it appears you are defending the likes of mayor Protheroe, by stating that money for youth projects is hard to come by.
It shouldn't be if our councillors are doing their job properly! That was my original point....how come Mr Protheroe can get planning for his apartments and build them in such a short time?!
This is scandalous, especially when he professes, constantly in the local press, how much he does for the youth of Dawlish.
You can guarantee that, had Mr Protheroe (and other councillors) been able to profit financially from a much needed, modern Youth Club, then it would have been built years ago! Instead he boasts about his million pound, shiny, new apartments. Ever had the feeling you've been cheated?
Too many people are willing to defend councillors with blind faith.....the rot runs deep.
im not defending anyone especially councillors. i know how hard it is because for the last 5+ years i have been raising money through various ways to keep the little hut as you call it up and running you know pay peoples wages and pay for equipment etc in there and believe it or not keeping a youth cafe open is not cheap and is alot of hard work and if you say yeah yeah then you try raising £30,000 a year whilst studying, being a parent, working, doing charity work and other bits and bobs and see how well you cope, because to me you quite happy to whine when things arent going your way but arent going to put your finger to it and actually help. perhapsyou could do some fundraising yourself with friends etc and show your support instead of laving everyone else to do it and critasise. if you look on the internet etc and see how many funders or any funds at all for youth projects and let me know as to me you seem to know everything!!!!!
My criticism is not aimed at you, as i have raised funds myself, as well as helping young people to better their lives; i certainly understand and respect your situation.
My gripe is with councillors who claim great achievements helping our youngsters, but when their involvement is put under the microscope, the reality is, they have done very little.
Then our councillors have the cheek to accept all the kudos in the local press, when our reporter should be highlighting the real stars of the town......people like yourself.
I know you probably don't seek the spotlight, but the residents of Dawlish deserve to know what is truly going on and who is really doing the hard work.
im definatly not after the spotlight at all, it wouldnt be fair on the other people in dawlish doing a similar thing for other causes.
yes i agree politicians do all want the spotlight themselves but thats life and nothing will change there thats why people like us who raise funds and do the hard work should get on with it.
its alot easier that way!
Mouse! as much as I respect what you are doing (fund raising), you should step back and look at how things are about to pan out.
Going backwards for a moment, why did they sell the Leonard Lamb? Claiming the running costs were high was a very lame excuse and why did they not allocate all the money for a new youth center, instead of hiving it of for their own pet projects.
£100,000 for CCTV which is nigh on usless, so it will need another dip in the pot to upgrade. Wasn't there another £30,000 given to the Shaftsbury? And another £30,000 given for an extension for the Holcombe village hall, which will become redundant when the villagers leave to get closer to a Post Office after theirs is closed down.
Have you noticed how the councillors and the MP Dicky-Ross are fighting for a dead duck. It puts them in the spotlight, for what?
Going forwards now. With prices increasing at an alarming rate for all raw materials, do you really think your fund-raising activies will make a jot of difference? When you think you have enough, it will probably not pay for the front door.
So I would get on with your life and leave the fund-raising to the so called upstanding members of this town.
well fair enough well said. if only i could let it go, see i am an upstanding member of this town who cares about the youth of dawlish coz if people like me dont then nothing gets done.
the council dont care about locals, we live in a tourist town aimed at tourists, we just sit down town looking at the fat b*stard tourist scoffing their faces with ice cream and pastys and looking at us like theyve paid there money to be here and we should be out of sight, even are primary food source is geared toward typical mainstream traditional tourists selling absolute unadvetourous crap, dont expect anything to benifit us.