The 12 year search for a new outdoor skate park in Devizes is over after Wiltshire Council granted planning permission today for a skate park next to the sports pitches in Green Lane.

The last outdoor skate park in the town was at Hillworth Park but owners Devizes Town Council had to remove it after a local resident won a civil court case over noise from the skate park.

Devizes Area Board has led the search for a new site for almost three years and the planning application was in the name of the town council as they run the sports pitches at Green Lane.

Wiltshire Council has ordered that a two metre high bund be constructed to minimise noise.

Wiltshire Council planning officer Rebecca Hughes granted permission under delegated powers on July 1 and said in her report: “In conclusion, the proposed skate park is considered to provide a valuable community leisure facility for the town.”

Richard Rogers, community area manager of Devizes Area Board, said: “We are absolutely delighted. It’s been a lot of work over a lot of years and at times we wondered if we would get there, now it’s a reality.”

Susan Huzzey, of Elizabeth Drive, Devizes, who along with her son, Chris, 18, have been campaigning for an outdoor skate park in the town for the past seven years, was overjoyed that planning permission had been given.

She said: “We’re delighted. It will benefit hundreds of children who skate or scoot.”

Work on building the skate park is due to begin on July 14 and take nine or ten weeks, depending on the weather.