A near ten year campaign to replace a ‘dated’ Isle of Wight skatepark could soon be successful.
East Cowes Town Council, last Thursday night, agreed to apply for a loan from the government’s public works loan board to fund the replacement of equipment at its skatepark on Vectis Road.
‘Very dated’ facility causes ‘significant’ limitations
The council said the 20-year-old facility is now ‘very dated’ and causes ‘significant’ limitations to the wheeled sports that can be done there and the skills that can be learnt.
The surface around the ramps is ‘very rough and uneven’ with the metal ramps themselves said to have a higher degree of risk due to it being a ‘less grippy’ surface, dented and extremely hot in the summer.
The current park was also said to be inaccessible for a variety of users, and not designed for them.
Long-running calls
Calls for a new skatepark first arose in 2015, and with the need for outdoor areas highlighted during the Covid pandemic, the town council consulted East Cowes residents in 2021 to see if the work would be agreeable.
More than 150 responses were received with a ‘clear desire’ for new facilities for the community.
Concrete skatepark
Instead of the metal ramps, the town council is looking to build a facility for beginners and more experienced riders to enjoy the site with ‘fun bumps’, stairs, ramps and banks made out of concrete.
The town council is looking to borrow £100,000 from the government — £15,000 for final designs to be drawn up and £85,000 to build it — repayable over the next 22 years.
No impact on residents’ pockets
If accepted, the council would pay around £7,800 a year and it said it “does not intend to increase” the amount residents pay for the purpose of repaying the loan.
One concern from a town resident said it would be ‘foolhardy’ for the council to tie itself into a long loan when the length of the loan would outlast the skatepark.
Support for concrete skatepark
Councillor Cameron Palin said the current skatepark has lasted ten years longer than first thought and the concrete skatepark proposed would last a lot longer.
Councillor Stephen Hendry said the lifespan of a concrete skatepark was at least 20 years, and no maintenance costs would have to be paid on it as it currently has to with the existing skatepark, so replacing it was a ‘no brainer’.
Councillor Holly Irwin said there was a growing community around the skatepark and an ongoing need for the facilities.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
