THE future of a newly-opened £70,000 skateboard park is at the centre of a planning wrangle.

Kirkbymoorside Town Council heard that complaints had been made to Ryedale District Council that the park - opened just three weeks ago in the Old Road play area - did not have planning permission.

Scores of children have been using the park since it was opened by the Mayor, Councillor Nigel Richardson, but now a question mark hangs over its future.

Coun Gaynor de Barr, the deputy mayor, said she was surprised at the opposition.

"The park was an initiative started by the town council and the play area association was formed to enable grants to be accessed which the council could not get.

"We had a clear mandate from the public to back the skateboard park and it has proved a real 'high' for the youngsters of Kirkbymoorside."

Coun Susan Balf said: "There seems to be an undertone of people finding a way of preventing the skateboard park from staying there."

The district council is investigating whether planning permission is required.