CHILDREN are a step closer to their dream of building the first skate parks for north-west Durham.

Derwentside Leisure, working on behalf of Derwentside Youth Forum, has applied for planning permission to build the £30,000 parks in Consett and Stanley.

It follows more than a year of work by the youth forum to find suitable sites and money for the schemes.

The forum was set up as the result of Derwentside District Council's Spice Project, which aimed to give youngsters a greater voice in local government.

Leader of the council Councillor Alex Watson praised the forum's efforts.

He said: "This is a real feather in the cap of the youth of Derwentside.

"We have always felt that, if young people are part of the decision-making process and have ownership of a project like this, they will respect it and take responsibility for it."

The council gave the forum £10,000 to get started last year and its elected members decided to put the cash towards skateboarding facilities.

But the youngsters struggled to get a National Lottery bid together in time for this year's deadline and were facing a long wait for further funding.

The council was so impressed with the forum's maturity and hard work that it voted to give the children an additional £50,000 to speed up the process.

Coun Watson said: "The forum has members as young as eight putting the case for a skate park and the standard of their work has been excellent.

"The members appreciated that the young people had put in a lot of hard work.

"These are the citizens of the future and we felt their endeavour needed to be rewarded.

"They can still put in a Lottery bid and any cash from that could be used for further improvements to the facilities."

If the council approves the plans, the park in Stanley will be on the site of the former swimming baths in the High Street, while the Consett venue will be attached to Belle Vue leisure centre.

Each park will cater for skateboarders, BMX bikers and in-line skaters, and will include a skate-friendly surface, equipment and security fencing.

Leisure chiefs said the skate park could be open in time for the school summer holidays.