Greenwich Council planners are seeking views on the proposed skatepark in Charlton Park – so if you’ve got a strong view on the proposal, now’s the chance to have your say.

The proposals, which have attracted petitions both for and against the scheme, would see an L-shaped facility built around the mini-gym to the south of the Charlton Lane entrance.

You can see the initial plans for yourself on the Greenwich Council website (search the online planning system for 16/0058/O if the link doesn’t work).

This application is to get permission for the location and size (900m²) – full details, including the final design, will follow in a further application, if this one gets the nod.

So there’s no visualisation of how the landscaped facility will look – the closest you’ll find is a site plan showing the dimensions of the skate park.

The location has been chosen for its “minimal effect on Charlton House”, according to a statement from Woolwich-based architecture firm Martin Arnold, which is handling the scheme for Greenwich Council.

It adds:

“The proposed design will aim to be sympathetic to Charlton Park with features of the skatepark complementing materials and finishes from Charlton House. The open nature of the park will try to be maintained by sinking the skatepark within the ground to reduce the visual impact of the proposal within Charlton Park and also assist in noise reduction.

“The skatepark will be excavated into the ground at different depths and heights with a maximum measurement of 1600mm below the existing ground level. The proposed skatepark will not extend more than 750mm above the existing ground level, for reference the adjacent climbing wall is approximately 2000mm above the existing ground level.

Comments need to be with Greenwich Council – either through the planning website or by emailing planning[at]royalgreenwich.gov.uk – by 15 March.

The proposals have been controversial since they first emerged in July 2014, mainly due to the lack of public consultation on the scheme.

Funding for the scheme is coming from Berkeley Homes, which is paying £365,000 towards the facility to replace the skatepark at Royal Arsenal Gardens, Woolwich. A condition of the money was that the new park had to be within two miles of Woolwich. A further £15,000 is coming from the council.

Sites at Hornfair Park and Barrier Park were also considered, this website has also discovered that a site at Villas Road, Plumstead was also briefly in contention. A “stakeholders’ forum” has been meeting regularly since then to discuss the proposals.

A Friends of Charlton Park group was set up to oppose the proposals. A 728-name petition was dismissed by the council last year.

A counter-petition to support the park, signed by 1,038 people, was also presented to the council and received a rather warmer response:

“Charlton Park was deemed the most suitable location for a skate park because it is a visible, safe area that: is easily accessible by foot or public transport, has existing infrastructure such as toilets and floodlighting and is close to local amenities. It will also complement the existing sport and leisure provision in the park.

“Royal Greenwich sees this project as an exciting opportunity to not only revitalise facilities for existing skateboarders and riders, but as something that will bring added value to Charlton Park and the Royal Borough as a whole.”

Despite this official support from the council, one curious feature of the scheme is that local councillors have been lukewarm at best in their backing for the proposals.

Since the planning application is not fully detailed, one thing is certain – the skatepark saga has some way to stagger on yet.