Nearly 300 people have signed a petition calling for improvements to the Saltworks Farm Playing Fields skate park on Ship Street.

This comes after dozens of local residents have taken to social media to comment that care and attention is needed to make the area a safer place for children and young people to play and socialise, following repeated reports of antisocial behaviour and drug dealing at the park.

On Monday 8 March, an incident of criminal damage at the site saw a children's swing set alight and destroyed.

Helen Watson, who is running the petition with the help of the local BMXers and skateboarders who use the skate park, insists that these issues will not be solved by "pointing the finger," but, instead, by working to tackle their root cause.

Shining a light on Saltworks

"The facilities on the playing fields are not fit for purpose and our local youths are struggling to have their voices heard," Helen tells Frodsham Nub News.

"Frequent condemnation by diverse members of the community results in the majority being blamed for the actions of a small minority, when they just want a facility that is appropriate for their needs.

"The community needs to come together around this and we need funding to improve facilities."

She believes that problems with antisocial behaviour can, in a large part, be put down to the fact that the field floodlights are never turned on.

When the skate park was built – at a cost of £130,000 – in 2007, it was agreed that in the winter months it would be lit until 9pm.

"For the last six years the lights have been switched off, and the lack of lighting encourages antisocial behaviour."

This means that the older BMX riders, skateboarders and rollerbladers, who used to make sure that the skate park was maintained as a safe space for them to practice their skills, are now unable to use it.

"The men I met there all used to sweep up and litter pick in the skate park," Helen says. "But a lot of them don't finish work until 5:00pm or 5:30pm, so in the winter it's dark by the time they get there and they can't use it. You can see this from the photos.

"If the lights were on and the park was clearly visible from the houses, it would promote easy identification of those who are not behaving as they should and I personally think that the antisocial behaviour would stop.

"The older BMX riders would also come back and be able to use the skate park until 9 o'clock at night, helping to ensure the safety of all the other people who visit Saltworks."

According to Helen, the provision of adequate toilet facilities, as well as disability-friendly play equipment, would also make the space more accessible and welcoming for a wider range of people.

What has been said by local authorities?

Helen has contacted both Frodsham's local PCSO, Neil Flanagan, and Cheshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, David Keane, about the issues affecting Saltworks, but was not satisfied with their response.

"I asked to meet Frodsham's PCSO to talk with him at the young people at the skate park. He agreed the lights were a problem, but then the next minute he got a message on the radio and had to go and sort out a lockdown breach somewhere else.

"It's all very well turning up for five minutes, but that doesn't solve the problem and it makes people lose the will to try."

Helen has also contacted Cheshire West and Chester Council , the authority responsible for Saltworks, but received no response as of yet.

"The Council should be engaging in a multidisciplinary approach with the police, the public and the park users to make a difference," Helen says.

While Council attention would be welcomed at Saltworks, Helen is also positive that the site could be eligible for funding from organisations such as Sport England and the Marshes Community Benefit Fund, whose investment would help to make the park a safe and fun space for everyone who wants to use it.

A community-led approach

For Helen, it is vitally important that the community actively engages with the future of Saltworks, and that local residents of all ages unite to make the fields and skate park a safer place.

She thinks that the creation of a committee made up of a range of different stakeholders would be an effective way of managing the space and securing additional funding for its facilities.

"I want to set up a committee made up of different people in the community," Helen says. "Although I will help steer it, I want those who use the skate park to take control of it.

"Young people have got to have somewhere to meet and enjoy facilities, but I think this space can work for everybody.

"After lockdown, I want a party or a celebration to happen in Saltworks. I want a game of rounders, a family picnic, an event for dogs and their owners; I want to make hotdogs and soups for the children that gather there.

"The BMX riders are willing to teach young people how to do it and that's another opportunity we can explore."

She also believes that the park could be the perfect place for another of her community projects: the Kindness Café.

Through this scheme, Helen hopes to set up 'friendship benches' in areas like Saltwork, where people who are feeling sad or lonely can sit and be joined by a local volunteer offering their smiles and companionship.

"Acts of kindness like these go a long way and it's only the community that can do that," Helen says.

As well as helping to tackle social isolation, these benches might attract older residents to come and sit in the park and provide indirect supervision for the young people using its play area.

"But none of this can happen if people don't get involved and sign the petition!" she concludes.

To read more about the Save Our Skatepark petition, click here.

If you are interested in being part of a committee working on plans to improve Saltworks facilities, please contact Helen on Facebook.