Young people in Lowestoft are being asked for their input in designing a state-of-the-art skate park for the coastal town.Two consultation evenings will take place for local people to discuss location and design of the park, following a successful bid for more than a quarter of a million pounds from the Big Lottery fund.

Young people in Lowestoft are being asked for their input in designing a state-of-the-art skate park for the coastal town.

Two consultation evenings will take place for local people to discuss location and design of the park, following a successful bid for more than a quarter of a million pounds from the Big Lottery fund.

The project, headed by Waveney District Council, is part of a strategy to develop opens spaces and community sites across the district.

The Play Partnership was set up 15 months ago as the main steering group behind the future of play spaces in Waveney and is made up of 40 people from organisations and groups working in the area.

Funding is also in place to improve three rural play areas in the district and these projects, as well as the concrete skate park earmarked for north Lowestoft, should be delivered in the next two years.

Chris Ames, the partnership co-ordinator, said: “The park will be designed by young people for young people and everyone's input is welcome, from skateboarders to bmx riders and in-line skaters.

“I am thrilled to be part of this positive movement, to improve existing facilities and create more free play opportunities for young people in our area. Not only will we be providing for the younger children in the district, but we'll be extending this opportunity to all under the age of 19 years,” he added.

The events are preliminary talks into what the public want and there are plans for more involvement with the community as plans progress. The grant from the lottery was secured in December last year.

Chris Punt, the council's portfolio holder for performance and chair of the partnership, said: “It's exciting to finally get on with creating something that's tailored to the young people of Lowestoft.

“This skatepark was a clear favourite during our initial consultation to identify potential projects. We've put in a lot of work so far and it's great to be in the position where we can start generating ideas.”

Consultation meetings are being held at Benjamin Britten High School on Blyford Road on July 8 and 9, between 5.00pm and 6.30pm.