Priory Skate Park

And we are near to completion! A few more concrete pours to go and the park will be due to open soon after a few finishing touches are added.

More prep, and first concrete poured!

And we’re off! Good progress was made in the first week; breaking ground well and truly on the skatepark. Work included creating temporary access road for HGV, formwork and shaping template, custom rebars, steel for rails and ledges, removing old asphalt and more!

The skatepark consultation meeting was held on Tuesday, 17th August. Our contract partners, Betongpark had painted out the proposed footprint and plan on the slab which helped attendees visualise the scale and layout of the project. In the Priory conservatory, plans were displayed for perusal.

Over 30 members of the public attended of all age groups, including keen skateboarders, BMX, and scooter riders; all there to view and comment on the proposed designs.

The project has seen the removal of the old wooden ramps to make way for the creation of a new concrete skatepark. The objective of the consultation was to respond to the needs of existing riders, people keen to try the sport and also to engage a wider section of the local community to make sure the park includes features suitable for all ages and abilities. Riders who came along gave their opinions on ramps, street elements, layout and more which will be used to finesse the design process. Betongpark left with pages and pages of excellent feedback! They will use this for a revised design to be presented in early September.

Measures have also been put in the design plans to lessen noise emission and minimise the opportunity for instances of anti-social behaviour. The skatepark is being designed with more seating and viewing points, grass verges and wildflower areas.

Showing their support at the consultation were Ware Town Councillors including Mayor of Ware, Cllr Ian Kemp, Cllr Phyllis Ballam, Cllr Jonathan Kaye and Cllr Martin Butcher. We were also pleased to welcome East Herts District Council’s Infrastructure Contributions & Spend Manager, Jackie Bruce and Cllr James Frecknall. Ware Town Council has successfully worked with the District Council to secure extra funding for the skatepark from section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

Everyone one involved in the consultation recognized the importance of this process in giving ownership to the community. With Team GB excelling in skateboarding and BMX at the Tokyo Olympics this year, perhaps our new Ware skatepark will help produce a future Team GB athlete!

Pictured below are the Councillors, Betongpark team members and Ware residents.

Bo, 10 years old and Louis, 13 years old of Ware give their views on the skatepark.

Mayor of Ware, Cllr Ian Kemp & Cllr Martin Butcher attended with Betongpark’s Daryl Nobbs and EHDC’s Jackie Bruce.

Left to right: East Herts’ Jackie Bruce, Cllr Kaye, Cllr Frecknall, Betongpark’s Daryl Nobbs and Sean Higgins, Ware Town Council Finance Manager. Also pictured are Ware skatepark user group members, Louis, Bo, Josh Hills and Beau Booth.

After considering the tenders received, Betongpark have been awarded the contract to provide our brand new Skatepark. A meeting has taken place with them this week and an initial public consultation has been scheduled for Tuesday, 17th August. User groups and members of the public are invited to attend and display the proposed plans. The consultation runs from 4.00 – 7.30pm.

The tender document for the new skatepark was issued this week with a decision to be made on submissions at the end of July 2021. On the appointment of the successful provider we will enter into a post tender design phase and further consultation with the youth & user groups and interested community members.

• Tender Document

Ware Town Council and HCC Services for Young People have been consulting with Ware Street Crew, Ware & Hertford Youth Participation Group and East Herts Youth Strategy Group to ensure we can provide a skatepark that includes features suitable for all ages and abilities. The groups’ initial thoughts on the scheme are summarised here:

“Ware skatepark is there for young people to enjoy, have fun and engage in social activity. It can also be a good meeting point for young people to make new friends and engage with other young people to encourage their personal development and for older young people to become a good role model for younger children. It encourages healthy competition and gives a positive adrenaline rush. It develops a person’s physical and mental wellbeing. Being outdoors in the fresh air of the park and exercising can be seen as a good way to release stress and is a good form of anger management for young people who struggle with personal issues. It encourages young people to take part in physical activity over other activity which is not positive and self-destructive. Young people can use it to set goals, and achieve them, which can lead to a boost in self-confidence and self-esteem. The skatepark is seen as a safe space for young people and children alike within the local community. This provides reassurance for parents as it helps them to know where their children and young people are and supervise them appropriately. We feel that introducing a newer remodelled skate park will encourage families and young people to use the local amenities providing a good income for local businesses and the opportunity to expand the community and businesses available.”

We are fortunate to also be partnering with other organisations and experts in the field who are kindly supporting us with advice and guidance. This includes ABC Skateboarding and Highway Cycles, who will be with us throught the consultation and design process and be involved with launch activities.