Skaters render the Oakham skate park rebuild a disaster:

Skaters render the Oakham skate park rebuild a disaster:

A new £48,000 skatepark in Oakham, Rutland, has caused outrage, disappointment and concern after local skaters and riders have rendered the park a disaster.

Having replacing the old wood skatepark in Cutts Close, locals are voicing their annoyance at Oakham Town Council for not being consulted and finding the park unusable. They are particularly concerned that the skatepark, due to be completed last Friday, is an inappropriate size for the area and dangerously proportioned, with insufficient run-off and unrideable transition.

We reached out to newly elected Oakham Town Councillor Martin Brookes to find out if any consultations were carried out. He confirmed that “schools were consulted and this park is designed for user up to 11 years of age”.

Unfortunately this suggests a significant lack of understanding at Oakham Town Council, approaching this project as if it were a playground and hiring playground equipment company Monster Play (Caloo Ltd) to build the park. Given that the average skatepark user is over the age of 11, and skateparks are most certainly not playgrounds, it’s no wonder that Oakham Skaters are outraged.

We viewed the recording of the council meeting where the skatepark was discussed and it backs up our concerns that the Council were not in an informed position to choose an appropriate design:

Read More:

https://www.skateparks.co.uk/news/oakham-skatepark-blunder/

I believe the users and author has raised some valid points

I do think it is unreasonable for the author to expect

a Parish Council to respond to a email as quickly as they

expected when the email was only sent out at 10,30 am

this morning.

From: Alex Jordan [mailto:alex@skateparks.co.uk]
Sent: 09 July 2015 10:31
To: enquiries@oakhamtowncouncil.gov.uk
Subject: Oakham Skatepark

Dear sir/madam,

We’ve been contacted by a number of local skaters expressing disappointment at the new skatepark in Oakham. It would seem that rather than hiring a skatepark builder, a playground company was brought in to do the work and as a result questions are being raised as to suitability and safety.

I watched the recording of the town council meeting where the park was discussed. It is obvious that those involved had no or little experience with skatepark construction so I was hoping you could clarify a few points for me:

-        Why did the council feel it was appropriate to consult with schools, setting the demographic below the age of 11 when the average skater is older than 11?

-        Did the council consult with skateboarder, scooter rider, BMX rider and inline skater stakeholder groups?

-        Why was concrete, proven in the industry to be more economical long-term and safer than metal not selected as an option?

-        Who was responsible for quality control, checking the work of Caloo Ltd to ensure that their product met the needs of locals when many are telling me that the equipment is dangerous?

-        How does Oakham Town Council intend to address the concerns of local skaters who feel disappointed and annoyed at not being consulted?

Your help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards,

Alex

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Alex Jordan
Director

The Skateparks Project

Hyperlink Media

t. 020 7060 9790
a. 41 Great Pulteney Street, Soho, London, W1F 9NZ, United Kingdom
e. alex.jordan@hyperlink.co.uk
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