Protest march as campaigners lose potential skate park site

27 March 2008

Lichfield Mercury

Lichfield's skateboard and BMX-ing fraternity will be taking to the streets in protest next week after plans to bring a world-class skatepark to the city have ground to a standstill.

Two years after Lichfield Skatepark Committee formed, calling for a facility to be brought to a central city location, members will stage a march through the city to the site previously earmarked for the facility - but rebuffed by Lichfield District Council.

Lichfield mum and founding member of the skatepark committee Katie Cowell, whose two sons are keen skateboarders, has organised the rally to highlight the lack of progress by the district council to provide a skatepark, despite a long campaign by local riders and parents.

The march on Saturday, April 5, will start outside the Argos store in Three Spires Shopping Centre at 1pm.

It will wind its way to Christchurch crossing at Beacon Park, the site campaigners wanted but lost.

Chairman of the skatepark committee, James Hemming, said: "There's been a lot of to-ing and fro-ing.

"We've spent all the money we raised in our campaign and we still haven't got a skatepark.

"Originally there were a potential 18 sites for the facility. The one we wanted at Christchurch crossing is a very isolated spot, but it can't go there.

"Some of the other sites are on the edge of town, but we don't want that - it needs to be in a central location."

The loss of the Beacon Park site was a big blow for the skater kids who had pooled together enough funds from a string of benefit gigs to fly in world-famous skatepark designer and builder Wally Hollyday from California.

He came to see Lichfield's skatepark potential first-hand last May - a move seen by some as a step closer to getting him to come up with a bespoke design for the city.

But the district council has said that its search for a suitable location for such a facility is ongoing.

Councillor Val Richards, cabinet member for community, housing, health and leisure, said: "We are still focused on our discussions with a landowner about a potential site for the skateboard park.

"Until we know the outcome of these discussions we cannot comment further."

The skatepark committee's two-year battle has been backed by city MP Michael Fabricant and a petition of nearly 3,000 names, with one city councillor claiming that a skatepark would be 'a major asset' to Lichfield.