Oakham Skatepark: Town council set to vote on controversial plans tonight
12 Town Councillors will decide whether Centenary Field will be the location for the proposed build
A vote on whether a new skatepark will be built on Centenary Field in Oakham will take place tonight.
A majority vote from 12 Town Councillors will be needed to ensure the build goes ahead on the preferred location for supporters of the plans.
But plans have been far from straightforward, and have received push-back from some residents who would like the site moved elsewhere, further away from nearby care homes and residential areas.
Alex Clarke is one of those nearby residents - he hopes their concerns have been taken on board by councillors:
'What we would like in all honesty from the vote is to be sure that our voice has been heard, and that the council deliberate really carefully over all the points raised - on both sides - so as to ensure a balanced review and response.
READ MORE: Queues "out the door" for second public debate on Oakham Skatepark plans
'It would be unfair to base it off of a minority, so it needs to be for the better of the community as to where this skatepark should be sited.'
Oakham Skatepark Project leader Jon Dixon has been campaigning for a new skatepark for the past year, he says it's an exciting time:
READ MORE: Controversial plans over new Oakham skatepark set for second public drop-in
'We very much hope that the 12 elected members of Oakham Town Council will give it the positive thumbs up and then we can move to the next stage of fundraising and designing this thing.
'I think it's going to be a close one, we obviously need a majority vote from the 12 members but we'd really welcome your support if any members of the public want to come down and witness the meeting.'
The Town Council meeting will take place from 6:30pm on Wednesday 7th December at ROL House on Long Row, Oakham.