A LANDSCAPE gardener has made plans to use wildflowers and tall trees at a proposed village skatepark to help mitigate noise and make the community space feel welcoming.

The plan for a skate park has been proposed for the Recreation Field in Cholsey near Wallingford, aiming to give youngsters a space to be active and socialise.

A reserved matters application has been submitted for details of the appearance, landscaping, layout and scale and a decision is set to be made by February 12, 2021.

Cholsey landscape gardener, Rory Andrews lives on The Forty near the Recreation Field and he has no objection to the skate park plans but has raised his concerns over the potential noise and offered a solution.

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Mr Andrews commented on the planning application and said: “Having been a skater in my youth, I am fully aware of the noises that come with skateparks, namely music played on phones/speakers and the constant clanging of metal trucks (the things that attach the wheels to the board) on metal coping and rails.”

However, as a self-proclaimed skater in his youth Mr Andrews would like to see the skate park built.

He has put together a soft landscaping scheme within the council budget that will help buffer these sounds from the properties surrounding the park including his own.

The landscape gardener would like to plant wildflowers, evergreen trees, and cherry laurel to create a sound barrier.

Mr Andrews hopes the cherry laurel will create a sound buffer and tree planting will help the noise from travelling at height, as well as providing wildlife and ornamental value.

A wildflower meadow will help to reduce regular maintenance costs and encourage wildlife to the field.

The soft landscaping designs not only offer a way of mitigating sound but also make the area look welcoming.

Mr Andrews said: “It is going to make the park look nice, for the parents that are there, for the people who are watching the footie, maybe even the skaters will think it looks nice.”

The business owner believes the skate park will be a positive boost for the area and it will encourage people from surrounding villages and Wallingford to Cholsey.

He said: “I was absolutely craving a skate park when I was a youngster, I grew up in an Oxfordshire village and I had nowhere to skate. I am all for it, I think it is a good idea.

“I will probably be down there using it; I might be down there with my kids one day.”

The Cholsey and Wallingford tree planting group are all for Mr Andrew’s plans and have expressed an interest in offering their tree planting services to help make the landscaping scheme possible.