Skate park for Malmesbury is on track (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Skate park for Malmesbury is on track

2:00pm Thursday 1st November 2012 in News By Fuchsia Singleton-Hoare

Councillors are calling on skaters to demonstrate their support for new Malmesbury skate park proposals at a meeting this week.

A list of potential contractors is being drawn up for the scheme to build an extension onto the youth centre in Gloucester Road and work could begin before the end of the year.

The town’s bid for a skate park has been ongoing for more than a decade.

Councillor Simon Killane said: “We’ve been campaigning for as long as I can remember, John Thomson started around six years ago and Sue Alexander around 10 years.”

Objections such as noise the park could generate have caused difficulty in the process, but the idea of an indoor multi-use space finally won a 21-year temporary permission.

The 230 square-metre extension will be built on the hard surface at the rear of the youth centre, funded by a £100,000 grant from the area board and £60,000 raised by skaters and their supporters.

Final specifications are currently being worked out to ensure it fits the budget. Issues such as potential flooding have had to be dealt with.

Coun Killane said: “Young people are always keen for a skate park; the prime age seems to be between 10 and 17, and we don’t want to lose any more generations.

“The building can be used for different things. Young people can use it, it can be used for bake sales, community events and even music sessions as it will be heavily insulated.

“It will make the youth centre a bigger place that the community can use whenever appropriate.”

The area board meeting will be held at Malmesbury School on November 7, starting at 7pm.

It will be decided then whether the project can go ahead with extra funding. Views can also be sent to Miranda Gilmour at miranda.gilmour@wiltshire.gov.uk