A PLANNING application has been lodged for the creation of a skatepark in Lauder.
The proposed facility would be built at the Piggery Field, Thirlestane Drive.
It has received the backing of a number of local people, as well as the local police and community council.
However, at least one nearby resident has raised concerns about noise, potential for antisocial behaviour and the lack of screening.
Lauderdale Development Trust has fronted the project on behalf of Lauder BMX Group.
Issued along with the planning application, a supporting statement reads: “A BMX/skatepark for Lauder will give our youngsters an asset they can be proud of, take ownership of and will encourage healthy activity and respect, both in relation to their peers and to others.”
Those behind the project believe that the facility would attract people from other towns and villages, which will have a positive knock-on benefit for local traders.
The cost of the project is around £140,000, with a 30-year lease of the land agreed with the council on behalf of Lauder Common Good Fund, subject to planning approval being given.
If it is given the green light by planners, the skatepark could be open before the end of the year. It will not be floodlit, and will be created using concrete, which designers Wheelscape state is the longest-lasting and quietest material for such a use.
The planning application also states that a curfew on the use of the park would be implemented throughout the summer months.