PLANS have been revealed to purchase York's first mobile skate park - to be used by young people across the city.

The news comes after plans to rebuild a York skate park hit the downhill slide over a failure to find a new site.

Now City of York Council executive member for leisure and heritage Keith Orrell has told of the proposed scheme for a new "mobile street sport unit" to replace the permanent Holgate Park site.

"We are at the heart of the bidding process to secure funding for this new unit which is very exciting news," he said.

"This means we can develop street work with young people from across the city if we have a mobile situation."

He said plans to purchase the new equipment would hopefully balance the failure to find a new site for the destroyed Holgate Park skatepark.

The Sidings Skate Park was reduced to rubble by the council last summer following complaints from local residents and fears for young children's safety.

The park, situated behind the housing complex off Poppleton Road, had cost the council about £65,000, and was in use for only four months before being destroyed. Coun Orrell said: "Four potential new sites were identified, local residents consulted with and checked with the police, and all four were judged to be unsuitable.

"These sites often affect local residents, becoming a focus for young people gathering, and can become an anxiety for residents.

"If we can get a system where we move the young people around the city we can get to people in different areas, this is very positive, and definitely something we want to develop."

But the plan was slammed by Holgate ward councillor Tracey Simpson-Laing.

"The equipment needs to be fixed in a suitable and safe site.

"It needs to be fixed because the kids aren't going to keep a diary of when it's going to turn up.

"And it needs to be in a park where it's accessible to them 365 days a year, and where it's just down the street so parents know where their children are, not halfway across York."

Updated: 09:07 Wednesday, August 04, 2004