Weather
Skateboarders' joy at promise of new park (From Oxford Mail)
Get involved: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting OXFORD NEWS to 80360 or email us
Skateboarders' joy at promise of new park
11:40am Saturday 12th December 2009
VICTORY could finally be in sight for skateboarders after a 17-year battle to build a skate park in Oxford.
The city council this week committed conditional financial support for a project to build a £400,000 concrete skate park in Meadow Lane, East Oxford, by 2011.
Oxford’s skateboarding community is head over wheels at the news as the temporary wooden skate park on the site has fallen into disrepair with just one usable ramp.
The council will stump up £50,000 if, as expected, it receives £2.2m from the Government to cover the costly national concessionary bus fare scheme for free travel to over 60s.
Jack Richens, chairman of the Oxford Wheels Project, which is fighting to build the park, said: “The funding has very much come out of the blue and is a massive boost.
“It feels like we’ve been battling against the council for so long to build this and the most important thing this shows is now there is some support from the council.
“Skating is such a vital part of East Oxford culture that it’s very important this park gets built.”
The council earmarked land in Meadow Lane for the new skate park but the site lies in the floodplain and officers are working with the Environment Agency to ensure it is safe to build there. Skaters are confident problems can be overcome but the cost could increase if flood alleviation measures are needed.
They will use the council cash to win match-funding and to kickstart applications to Sport England and the Big Lottery Fund.
Former world amateur rollerskating champion Mon Barber, who runs the SS20 skateboard shop in Cowley Road, said: “Skaters and bikers in the city welcome the decision to do this but I’ll celebrate when we have a purpose-built skate park for youngsters in Oxford.”
The temporary skate park cost £70,000 to build but needs £10,000 a year to maintain.
The new concrete park will need very little maintenance and will be split in two with one section for skate bowls and ramps and a second part featuring street obstacles.
Councillor Antonia Bance, board member for social Inclusion and young people, said: “The wheels project is incredibly deserving of this money and I’m delighted we are going to be able to help.
“The wheels project has moved mountains to keep the current skate park going but it is time to replace it.”
More News stories
- Cyclists ride out in memory of Ali
- Hospice plea to helpers in Summertown
- £25k is earmarked for cricket revamp
- UPDATE: Hospital unit criticised over babies' deaths
- Police sweep up problems in Oxford park
- Kai shows head for heights
- Oxford leads way on licensing of homes
- Best wishes for church project
- Couple still in step after 60 years
- Head questions Ofsted report
Your Say YourOxford
Roger Casement, Frejus says...
1:54pm Sat 12 Dec 09
y community community and yes of course the taxpayer can stump up umpty ump pounds for this ordure. The country's not bust at all. Darling said it. It must be true.
beenmcmonkey, Oxford says...
3:35pm Sat 12 Dec 09
It should stop kids getting in the way in the city centre and providing it is well run will be a good distraction from other less wholesome activities of east Oxford
Sid Hunt, says...
3:48pm Sat 12 Dec 09
Lost for words at this statement.
xhc1980x, oxford says...
5:51pm Sat 12 Dec 09
jackjackjack, oxford says...
9:56pm Sat 12 Dec 09
Everyone is going to have an opinion on how better to spend public money. But when you consider that this £50k is going to lever in an additional £350,000 of funding for a public recreation and sports facility - it's a good investment.
If the essential services or facilities you use are not up to scratch why not take an active role in its improving the provision ?.
Roger Casement, Frejus says...
10:17pm Sat 12 Dec 09
investment"
Do you even have the remotest idea what the word investment means?
Jackx3, we're bust. No money. No cash. Zilch. Try to get a grip on what that is. Take a look at the Irish Republic. It is doing what a bust province has to do. We have to do what a bankrupt, not to mention , for the last 12 years corrupt and vicious state must do.That is STOP public spending. If the inhabitants of whatever part of Oxford it is want to skateboard, or fly, or turn into crocodile handbags, then bloomin well do it and pay for it-like real people have to do, all the time.
jackjackjack, oxford says...
12:10am Sun 13 Dec 09
"Investment:
the investing of money or capital in order to gain profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value"
If every £50k of public spending was matched £350k of private donations, grant applications and gifts in kind Oxford would be a better place , surely?
Which public service are you particularly disgrunteled with ?
I'm sure I can offer some suggestions on how you and your friends might take an active role in their improvement or source funding to cultivate their improvement.
Resident of Oxford, Oxford says...
12:29am Sun 13 Dec 09
peter mcvey, Barton says...
4:14am Sun 13 Dec 09
peter mcvey, Barton says...
4:15am Sun 13 Dec 09
Roger Casement, Frejus says...
9:27am Sun 13 Dec 09
I am not "disgrunteled" with any public service. I think that those who provide the public services, the armed forces and the police, do a good job in spite of endless uninformed interference by the defunct socialist regime. UKBA could work, but has been sabotaged by the socialist "internationalists" However I can see no merit whatsoever in cash which should be discharging the public borrowing chasm being wasted on PERSONAL services to the "skateboarding community"
jackjackjack, oxford says...
3:23am Mon 14 Dec 09
peter mcvey wrote:To be fair OWP have raised a little bit of cash over the years, last count was around £168,000 and that before the £50k conditional grant.
Roger, no point trying to but a valid point across to the likes of Jackanory and his ilk. Give them the choice of building a new hospital or loads of skate parks with the money, and we don't need to guess what they would choose. The fact that there have been no fund raising activities, or digging deep into their own pockets. Shows that THEY want it as long as WE pay for it.
Of course hospitals are more important than skateparks. People of "my ilk" tend to visit them more often than most. Plus the carparks are often quite smooth so it's win-win.
However if you really do want to buy something WE want with YOUR money please could we have a pair of swastika emblazoned oven gloves and a copy of the Daily Mail.
jackjackjack, oxford says...
3:48am Mon 14 Dec 09
Roger Casement wrote:"Skateboarding Community" does make it sound like personal bung to a select few, but that's not the case.
"Which public service are you particularly disgrunteled with ?" I am not "disgrunteled" with any public service. I think that those who provide the public services, the armed forces and the police, do a good job in spite of endless uninformed interference by the defunct socialist regime. UKBA could work, but has been sabotaged by the socialist "internationalists" However I can see no merit whatsoever in cash which should be discharging the public borrowing chasm being wasted on PERSONAL services to the "skateboarding community"
It's a free,public sports and recreation facility The Meadow Lane Ramps sees around 130 UNIQUE visitors a day during the summer months, most of them kids. Keep count at your local football pitch and it won't get anywhere near this amount in a space 6 times the size.
£50k of funding is going to help provide a sports faciilty for a lot of young people for a very long time.
And seeing as they're the mugs that'll be paying this debt off it's a shrewd move. The fitter they are, the longer we can work em,the quicker we claw our way out debt.
We could introduce a whip to wheeled sports, you know - condition the the blighters. They'll get accustomed to a thorough flailing before they even start work!
Stalin-Boarding. Radical.
humfrey, oxford says...
9:04am Mon 14 Dec 09
Roger Casement, Frejus says...
10:09am Mon 14 Dec 09
Scrofulous Serf, Oxford says...
4:06pm Mon 14 Dec 09
sparky123456, Oxford says...
1:22pm Wed 16 Dec 09
it provides a place to build skills, to socialise and no doubt removes the people that practice their hobby on private land that Roger and the likes probably complain about at every opportunity.
I have no doubt in my mind that in the future these sports could feature in major competitions like the olympics, replacing age old stuffy pursuits like shooting a non-moving target with a precision rifle... ohhh how difficult! then it would be nice to have a world champion that originated from Oxford and perhaps appreciated the investment from the council SOOO much they decided to repay them out of their winnings by reinvesting in the community that believed in them.
you see all this short-sightedness prevents you from having an altruistic view of people.
Buy this photo »
DELIGHTED: City councillor Antonia Bance and Tom Kilpatro from the SS20 skatebaord shop in Cowley Road celebrate the news
Local Advertisers
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
Phileas Fogg, Bicester says...
11:49am Sat 12 Dec 09