Bideford skate park could get acoustic barrier

Torridge Council might overturn its previous rejection against it

Torridge District Council may U-turn on its previous decision not to install an acoustic barrier at a Bideford skatepark.

Since the skatepark was opened in 2019, it has been met with complaints from local residents and business owners.

A report into the noise levels found that the skatepark would not prove a nuisance to the local area.

Nonetheless, the council agreed to build a wall around the skatepark to reflect noise away from the residential area. But plans for the sound block were scrapped late last year as its cost far exceeded the budget.

Now Cllr Peter Christie (Green, Bideford North) is thinking about reviving the plan.

“I think we ought to look into this because we can’t just say, ‘oh the committee said no,’” he said. “I think we do need to look at it.

“It is a very important issue down there that, if this comes up, and if they find against us again, and the ombudsman says ‘what have you done since my last finding? [And we say], oh we’ve just kicked it down the road,’ it’s not going to look good is it?”

Cllr Christie confirmed a resident in the area has raised the issue again.

Council leader Cllr Ken James (Independent, Milton and Tamarside), agreed the council needs to honour its previous agreement to build the barrier.

“It does trouble me a little bit this one, because obviously we’re in breach of our own planning,” he admitted, saying that last year’s decision “could come back to haunt us.”

Cllr Dough Bushby (Independent, Bideford North) added: “Sooner or later, we are going to have to bite the bullet and resolve this issue, and do what we promised to do right at the start of this whole episode.”

Cllr Robert Hicks (Independent, Monkleigh and Putford) commented that a fresh pursuit of a wall is “likely to receive some support.”