A man skateboarding. Pic: Jon Hanson
A man skateboarding. Pic: Jon Hanson

Lichfield District Council are hosting a consultation on proposed plans for a skate park in Beacon Park. The proposed plans will be on show accompanied by representatives from the council who hope to gather the views of the public.

The skate park plans and images of how it might look will be on show at the event on Saturday in Beacon Park between 9:30am and 11:30am. The proposed site is next to the Bunkers Hill/Greenhough Road car park. To allay fears about the development, the council have stressed that there will be no flood lighting so they expect the park to be used during daylight hours only and that they are consulting with the Police throughout to ensure that regular patrols of the area will be made.

Neil Turner, Lichfield District Council’s Leisure Services Manager, said: “We’re keen for everyone who is interested in the skate park, or who has concerns about it, to come along and see the plans for themselves. They will find out how the proposals don’t incorporate traditional metal ramps, but instead aim to create an attractive boulevard, street feel. There will also be pictures on display to show how the overall development will be low to the ground, and that sophisticated landscaping will be used to limit its impact on views across the park.

“So, if you are interested in finding out more, and giving your views, we’ll be in the white exhibition unit on the proposed site, which is in easy reach of Bunkers’ Hill car park, just off Lower Sandford Street.”

Councillor Val Richards, Cabinet Member for Leisure Services, said: “Skateboarding is now an internationally recognised sport, and a growing number of local people are incredibly passionate about it. We’re keen to explore the idea of creating a skate park, so they have somewhere to skate, rather than getting in people’s way on the streets or in car parks. We also want skaters to be able to develop their skills in a safe area. We’ve been working with local young skateboarders on the plans to date, which has involved studying 20 sites to find the best location. The Beacon Park site was chosen because it will be easy for skaters to get to, yet it is a good distance away from local homes.”

Inspector Trevor Steventon, of Staffordshire Police, added: “Police would very much welcome the provision of a skate park for Lichfield which would encourage enthusiasts to practice the sport in a purpose designed and safe environment. It would also discourage skateboarders from using areas of the city centre, such as the Three Spires shopping centre, which can create problems for businesses and people living close by. Interest in the sport is growing, and the provision of a specially designed skate park would play a positive and constructive role in enabling young people to make the most of their free time.”

Lichfield Skatepark Association have been campaign for a skate park for three years and are likely to welcome this significant progress. The skateboarders can often be seen in Lichfield’s Three Spires shopping centre or by the Festival Gardens on Walsall Road as they have nowhere else to go, but this has angered some residents.

The association led a protest in April last year after plans for the park fell through. They’d even managed to get world-renowned skatepark designer Wally Hollyday to fly from California to look at the plans.

Are you from Lichfield Skatepark Association or a concerned resident? We’d love to hear your views, so please get in touch.

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Kate
14 years ago

From what I have seen, the young people involved in this campaign have been a credit to themselves and their city. I’m astonished that it has taken so long for a suitable location to be agreed – where could be more appropriate than Beacon Park? I hope that ‘concerned residents’ don’t get in the way of a well deserved victory for the skatepark campaign. We have facilities for the older citizens of Lichfield in Beacon Park, now let’s have something for our younger residents (although the skatepark doesn’t have to be exclusively for the young – I’m sure the residents of the Retirement Village could borrow their grandkids’ skateboards and have a go too)!

Phil
13 years ago

To keep up to date with the Lichfield Skatepark follow Reload Clothing’s blog by clicking on the following link Lichfield Skatepark.

Edited to remove advertising and to change link to point directly to the blog.