SKATERS in Oxford hope work on their permanent home could begin before Christmas, after more than a decade of waiting.

And they wheeled themselves even closer with an artwork auction last week, which raised more than £4,000.

The Oxford Wheels Project submitted plans for a £300,000 set of concrete ramps in Meadow Lane, East Oxford, in June.

They have now raised about £200,000 and will find out on Tuesday if an Oxfordshire County Council Big Society grant for £45,000 has been successful.

The plans are being assessed by the Environment Agency before planning permission is decided by Oxford City Council.

OWP chairman Jack Richens said: “We want everything to have gone through by November.

“It’s taken ages so at the moment I’m excited but apprehensive.

“I’m treading carefully because we have been this close several times before.”

Skaters currently use temporary wooden ramps on the site that were built in 2001 as a three-year stop-gap.

Plans for permanent facilities were delayed by flooding concerns on the land, which is leased from Oxford City Council.

OWP commissioned a flood impact assessment to rule that out, but the delay is proving costly.

Mr Richens said: “There is concern we’ll lose some of our funding because the time has expired.

“One of the deadlines for that is approaching so we’d like to start spending soon.

“The last thing we want is to lose money because funding is difficult to come by at the moment.”

It is hoped the skate park would provide a home for skaters of all ages and abilities.

Many of them came together for the auction of graffiti and other art from people associated with the park at the Jam Factory last Wednesday.

Some of the pieces of graffiti artwork were sold for £400 each from buyers in London and Bristol.

Mr Richens said: “It was a really good night. We thought if we maybe got into four figures we’d be pleased, so it was amazing.

“It’s given us a lot of momentum so I think there will be greater things to come.

“And if we do start to lose some of our grants it will help keep the current ramps going in the meantime.”

He added: “Oxford has got a great heritage. Some of the best skaters in the world come from Oxford, which is crazy because they’ve never had anything to skate on.

“Imagine how well they’ll do when we actually give them something to skate on.”

rpope@oxfordmail.co.uk