YOUTH leaders have given the thumbs up to a new £20,000 skateboard facility in Princes Risborough.

At a meeting of the Princes Risborough Youth Town Council, held on Monday, members gave plans to put a skateboard area in King George V Playing Fields their approval.

Clerk to the Youth Town Council, Sue Coombs, said members felt the facility would be put to good use.

The skateboard park was given the go ahead by Princes Risborough Town Council at a meeting held on Wednesday last week.

Councillors felt their own purpose-built site would stop them using inappropriate areas, such as Horns Lane Car Park or Wades Park.

Chairman of the council, David Allworth, proposed to order the skateboard park so it would be in place by June.

He said: "I think it's going to be a goer. We are looking to augment this in the fullness of time with other facilities to create a youth village."

The facilities include a large ramp and various obstacles for skaters to enjoy and test their skills. It will be situated at the far end of the playing fields, the Aylesbury Road side.

The site was chosen as near enough to the town centre for skaters to use the facility and in an area their activities could be seen.

Chairman of the town council's parks and recreation grounds committee, Ben Benifer, said there was a need for a skateboard area but previous ones had been vandalised.

He said: "The youth club had a skateboard ramp up at the upper school but during the school holidays they were not permitted to use the school playing fields. We brought it to Wades Park but it was vandalised, rubbish was all over it and it wasn't properly supervised."

The skateboard park will be paid for out of council tax.