Skaters asked to come up with closing event for Central Park skatepark

By [mfleming] matt fleming herald reporter

SKATEBOARDERS, skaters and stunt bike riders are being invited to help organise a party to mark the end of an era for the Central Park Skatepark.

The existing skateboard park will close at the end of the year to make way for the Life Centre, Plymouth's biggest ever investment in sport and leisure facilities.

Plymouth City Council has promised to build a new skateboard park and has ring-fenced £200,000 funding to make sure it happens.

But it wants skaters to come up with ideas for the final closing party before that.

Sessions are being held in the training room at Central Park's swimming pool between 4.30pm and 6pm every Tuesday to discuss ideas for the closing event – as well as future ideas for the park. The sessions start next Tuesday, September 15.

A council spokesman said that ideas being floated for the future include creating an online archive where the park users can upload photos, video clips and messages about their skating days.

Cabinet member for healthy communities and leisure, Cllr Glenn Jordan, said: "We appreciate that keen skaters will be without a skate park for a while, but this is an opportunity to celebrate the existing park and start thinking about how we can develop a replacement which is bigger and better than the existing one.

"We are now looking at funding opportunities to see if we can raise enough money to meet the skaters' aspirations for one of the best parks in the country.

"It is a chance for them to really make their mark on the sport in the city by helping to plan the new one."

Consultation on where in the park the new facility will go will take place in the autumn and the site chosen will eventually be included in the masterplan for Central Park, which is part of the park's area action plan, said the council.

Once the location has been agreed, a designer will be appointed to consult with the young people on the design of the park.

Nick Marker, who runs the Prime Deluxe Skateboard Shop in Ebrington Street, said: "We want to get as many people involved in planning the new skate park as well as plan a send-off for the old park that skaters won't forget in a hurry."

There are alternative ramps for skaters to use while their park is out of action. They are in Plympton – one at Chaddlewood and one at Peacock Meadow.

Plymouth City Council's Youth Service also has a mobile ramp set which it hopes to install for skaters. A council spokesman said that more details will be available at a later date.