A new sporting facility could be coming to Freshwater.
As the popular skatepark in Freshwater, next to the West Wight Sports Centre, comes to the end of its life and with the parish council finding repairs and upkeep costly, a new skatepark is proposed as part of its 2021/22 budget.
The new skatepark and pump track would be built near the current play area at Stroud and designed to accommodate all riders with areas for all skill levels and ages.
A pump track is similar to a traditional skate track, but with dips, bumps and jumps, instead of ramps, for riders on any set of wheels to skate, cycle or roll around. Using the momentum of the track, riders can propel themselves around the track without the need to pedal.
Freshwater Parish Council hopes, as it would be the first pump track on the Island, it would become a great asset for West Wight tourism, especially with skateboarding due to make its debut at the Tokyo Olympic games this summer and Britain’s youngest ever Olympian Sky Brown making her debut at 12- years-old.
The cost to install a concrete skatepark, which will last generations, is thought to be £100,000 with a pump track costing £45,000.
The parish council will invest £60,000 over the next 2 years building the pump track first, if it is approved, but is looking from feedback in its annual budget consultation.
Another main aspect of its budget plans in the year is to refurbish the Gate Lane toilets in Freshwater Bay, taking out a 25-year loan from the Public Works Loan Board, costing £5,180 a year.
All of the plans would be paid for through the parish council’s reserves and a precept increase of 1% — meaning a Band D resident may pay £111.46 a year from April.
To have a say on the plans and budget, you can email [email protected].
This would be fantastic for youngsters on the island and aid in keeping them out of trouble more concrete bowls should be made they’ll last years after initial costs.
If it is to be done to be an asset and attract tourism then for heavens sake do it properly, no half measures to save money. Get the real experts to do the design and construction, we don’t want another floating bridge!
If Gravity are involved as per the example sketches it should be a quality scheme.
Many Sk8 parks are ruined when some local construction company get themselves invited to tender, undercut the experts, then just throw concrete around and completely balls it up. Without exception it’ll have a grand opening with a media fanfare and some 5 year old scooterist saying how fab it is blah blah blah…after a few months it becomes apparent it’s a pigs ear!
So please, please, please use a reputable construction company with experience and a good track record, (no pun intended).
Great idea. You could charge to use it, help pay back the money other people who will never use it are forced to pay for it, alternatively
set up a scheme whereby you can earn the use of it by doing little things beneficial to your community……
Just a thought.
You don’t understand the concept of community and social responsibility. It’s not just about me me me and me. When you pay taxes, part of the contract is to use some of the money for the benefit of the community at large.
Social responsibility is an ethical theory in which individuals are accountable for fulfilling their civic duty, and the actions of an individual must benefit the whole of society.
Excellent project. We need more areas where children and teens can be themselves without grumpy old gits moaning at them.