A full council meeting of Moray Council took place on Wednesday 27th September 2023, to consider the Community Asset Transfer (CAT) for a small section of the east end of Grant Park. This has been identified as the preferred future location of an all-wheeled sports facility for the Forres community. Following this meeting, the Trustee members of the Forres Skate Park Initiative (FSPI), are very concerned that the brief report that was issued, to guide and inform the Moray Councillors, did not accurately reflect the CAT, or indicate that there were other supporting documents. Consequently, FSPI believe the Councillors got an inaccurate and skewed version of the CAT. This was evidenced by the minutes of the meeting and subsequently by the unfortunate social media and press comments from some of the Forres Councillors.
The Board of FSPI met on Tuesday 3rd October to discuss these issues and felt that it was important to address the inaccuracies, both publicly and directly with the Moray Council.
In preparing the CAT, FSPI spent many years working with the Community Support Team of Moray Council. After pre-submission of the CAT to the working group within Moray Council, several changes were then made at their request prior to full submission of the CAT and supporting documents. FSPI have worked in collaboration with Moray Council and local groups, throughout the process to ensure the project was given every possible chance of success.
Anecdotally, FSPI were told that this was one of the best CAT submissions that the Moray Council had received. It was therefore very disappointing that a number of major supporting CAT documents weren’t provided to the Councillors, prior to the meeting on 27th September.
The details of concern are, firstly, within the briefing paper, the Councillors were informed that under the 1923 Declaration of Trust, Sir Alexander Grant left the park to the Burgh of Forres, to be used as a public park and recreation ground. Within the paper, the Asset Management Coordinator states that Moray Local Development Plan ENV1 meant that there is a presumption against a change of use of the site to anything other than its current use. FSPI are not seeking to change the area from recreational use.
The provision of a free all wheeled sports facility would, in fact, enhance the current recreational provision within Grant Park. This would benefit all age groups within the community, especially young people, as was the wish of Sir Alexander Grant in 1924.
The paper then went on to state that there was anecdotal evidence to suggest that the community of Forres was unaware of the two consultations FSPI carried out in 2021 and 2022. FSPI can confirm and evidence via the CAT and supporting documents, that public and stakeholder consultation events were shared via local press, online and social media. Furthermore, emails were sent directly to all Grant Park user groups, organisations, and schools within the Forres Academy catchment area, as required by the Moray Council.
With over 1000 positive responses in favour of an all-wheeled sports facility in the Grant Park, FSPI felt that this indicated a significant level of local support. It was also noted that the papers failed to inform Councillors of this support but instead focused on the 48 unsolicited letters that they had received, with a number citing concerns that the group hadn’t looked at alternative locations within the town. It was stated by one of the elected members during the council meeting that public opinion for a skate park in Forres was 50/50. FSPI believes the evidence it has provided in favour of an all-wheeled sports facility in Forres, shows that public opinion is overwhelmingly in favour. The numbers speak for themselves.
The CAT papers submitted by FSPI clearly show that an independent consultation process and feasibility study was completed by Alan Jones Associates in 2021, on behalf of FSPI. Unfortunately, again, this was another key document which was not referred to or provided to the Councillors. It shows that three other locations within Forres were considered (Bogton Road, Roysvale and Mannachie Park) with majority of the respondents, voting in favour of the Grant Park.
Having reviewed the feasibility study / Option Appraisal, FSPI chose the Grant Park as the preferred location for an all-wheeled sports facility over the other three locations. This was in part due to the already existing facilities such as parking, toilets, cafe, and the other additional recreational play equipment already in place. It also provides a safe, open, accessible space, close to local businesses on Forres High Street and on a main bus route.
It is also a space that is currently unused for much of the year. FSPI believe that this makes Grant Park a perfect location for an all-wheeled sports facility. All the other locations would have additional development costs e.g., providing toilets, parking, lighting etc, on top of the cost of the Skate Park construction.
The area chosen by FSPI is currently adjacent to the area which is zoned for the visiting funfairs / Circuses. As part of the wider consultation and at the request of Moray Council, FSPI contacted all visiting Funfairs and Circus’s, with only one responding stating they couldn’t operate to their full capacity if the Skate Park was positioned there.
FSPI independently and accurately surveyed the topography of the proposed site. The plans submitted to Moray Council were based on this survey, which also included tree locations. Any building on this site would not require the removal of any trees or impact designated conservation areas on Cluny Hill. This survey also gives Moray Council the opportunity to provide a long-term setting out agreement for all parties using this area of the Grant Park.
It is noted that the income from the funfairs over the past five financial years has, on average, been approximately £2,000. An all-wheeled sports facility would attract visitors and provide a financial benefit to the local Grant Park business and to those based on Forres High Street. The additional footfall would be highly beneficial for the town. As the only major town in Morayshire that does not have an all-wheeled sports facility and with Inverness leading the way by recently opening their third skate park, it is about time that the community voice was heard and the young people of Forres are provided with the facilities they have so desperately been campaigning for, for over eighteen years. It is no longer acceptable to ignore the growing popularity of wheeled sports and the opportunities such a facility would bring to all sectors of the community. We need to recognise and move away from outdated thinking, that ‘skate parks encourage anti-social behaviour.’
Given that the amount of land required to build an all-wheeled sports facility is a small fraction of Grant Park, FSPI believe that there is more than enough space to equitably accommodate this, without impacting current park users and recreational amenities already in place. FSPI would also like to work in partnership with other community groups and users to ensure the visual impact of an all-wheeled sports facility is aesthetically pleasing. At this point in proceedings, FSPI would welcome another meeting of the Moray Council to fully and properly consider the CAT and supporting documentation supplied to them. A decision to delay, based on a misinformed report and ‘other things going on in the town,’ is not acceptable.
