Bath & North East Somerset Council is seeking the views of local people about a new skate park at Alice Park in Bath.
The Council plans to invest £100,000 in the new facility, following calls for a skate park to the east of the city from local parents and young people.
Cllr David Dixon (Lib Dem, Oldfield), Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “This is a really exciting project and a great opportunity for partnership working between the Council and the community. It’s really inspiring to see so much support and hard work for the project coming from the community.
“This new investment will help foster new talent and build Bath’s reputation amongst the skating community. Providing a designated space for riders will also encourage young people away from using public spaces for skating – something which can sometimes bring them into conflict with other park users, residents and businesses.”
Leader of the Council and trustee of Alice Park, Cllr Paul Crossley, said: “This is a great opportunity to improve facilities for young people at Alice Park, in fact there is a requirement that four acres of the site must be set aside for use by young people. We plan to talk to local people and take on board views before deciding on detailed plans.”
To give a clear indication of what is intended, the Council has commissioned Canvas Spaces to put together designs for an area next to the existing playground – close to the other family facilities in the park and complementing the existing play area and junior cycle track. The new skate park would be designed in concrete with ramps and street features and then landscaped around the edge to soften the vista across the park.
Council officers will be sharing the design, and gathering thoughts and feedback, at two public drop-in consultations at the Oak Barn in Alice Park on Thursday November 27 (10am -12 pm), Sunday November 30 (1-3pm), and Saturday December 6 (10am-12pm).
From November 20, the design will also be available on the Council’s website at http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/alice-park-skatepark where you can also share your thoughts and feedback by completing the online consultation.
Alternatively, you can write to Skatepark Consultation at Bath and North East Somerset Council, Parks & Bereavement Services, Lewis House, Manvers Street, Bath, BA1 1JG; or email skatepark_consultation@bathnes.gov.uk
The Council will be seeking feedback on the scheme until December 8. If needed, planning consent for the scheme will be sought in the New Year, with work following afterwards.
The local community and London Road Partnership are looking to raise additional funds for the new park – you can find out more by searching for Larkhall skatepark on Facebook’.
