The skate park project in Ottery was handed a huge cash boost by the Town Council who pledged more than �15,000 to it.

The scheme, which has been in the pipeline for a number of years, looks to be finally off the ground as councillors unanimously agreed to spend money on the park after it came top in a public vote.

At Monday’s meeting councillors received a report from East Devon District Council, explaining in consultations undertaken over Christmas on the best way to spend the �20,000 of Section 106 money; the basic of the two skate park proposals came top with more than 60 per cent of the votes.

Second in the vote was for a multi-gym, an outdoor exercise appliance to be installed in a park, but without a specific site in mind. Third was the secondary skate park plan, which would add to the initial structure.

Councillors were given two options by the Section 106 officers from EDDC; either grant �7,000 to the skate park for their initial proposal and give �13,000 towards the creation of the multi-gym, or give �15,267 to the skate park for their entire proposal, and the remaining �4,733 to the gym to start the project.

Councillor Peter Williams said: “It seems a pretty clear choice to me, do we want one unfinished project or two?”

The vote was unanimously in favour of option two, to spend the money on completing the skate park, and giving the leftover money to begin the creation of an outdoor multi-gym in either Ottery or Tipton St John. Mayor Glyn Dobson: “Option two makes sense because it means we can have the skate park finished. After a long process its good to finally have a decision.”

The money comes from Ottery St Mary Town Council’s Section 106 fund, the money it receives from developers to mitigate the impact their projects will have on the town’s infrastructure. The money had to be spent on sports or recreation projects in the town.