Search for new skate park location not a smooth ride

Friday 12 January 2018

The team responsible for finding a new skate park location have assured that the new zone will remain in St Helier, despite hitting a roadblock with the previous frontrunner option, St Andrew’s Park.

The hunt to find a new spot for local skate enthusiasts began after the current New North Quay facility was closed down just days into the New Year.

The closure, Ports of Jersey said, was due to a number of safety issues including “near misses” involving vehicles and skate park users, as well as, more recently, youths climbing onto the roofs of the nearby warehouse buildings currently undergoing maintenance.

An agreement has now been signed between the States and Ports of Jersey to allow for the park to reopen on weekends and during holidays - with supervision - until September. But authorities are still keen to find a long-term solution.

Steve Pallett, St Brelade Constable and the Assistant Minister for Economic Development with responsibility for sport, worked with Ports of Jersey to enter the formal arrangement, which should be signed in the next few days, allowing for the reopening of the skate park as early as next week. The responsibility for the skatepark - and finding a new one - will then be transferred to the States' Sports division.

Pictured: Youths were recorded on CCTV on 29 December climbing onto warehouse buildings which are under maintenance.

Constable Pallett and St Helier Deputy Andrew Lewis had already been looking at different sites, having been warned over a month ago that the New North Quay Skateboard Park could be closed if anti-social behaviour was repeated in the area. Constable Pallett said that under the new agreement, the New North Quay Skateboard Park will be monitored and the subject of "enhanced security."

He told Express: "Words of advice will be offered to the children. We will keep an eye on things so that no users of the park or the marina are at risk. We understand that Ports of Jersey had no option but to close the park as it is a commercial port and they want to minimise the risks. Sadly, it is more people that hang on around the park than users that were responsible.

"Things need to be done in a safe manner but we need to find a solution. We are getting to the end of the road with this one and we all understand that. If we were to do it from scratch, we probably wouldn't put it here. It is not the right spot, it is easily accessible but it is also a very busy part of the Port."

Pictured: The New North Quay skate park could reopen as early as next week.

To speed things up, Constable Pallett and Deputy Lewis have now formed a working group to find a location that will suit everyone. It will include St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft, "as the skatepark may well be in one of St Helier's parks," Constable Pallett explained.

Skateboarders and parents will also be included in the group, but the Assistant Minister is keen to keep it small so that it doesn't become "too unwieldy or difficult to manage." 

Different locations are being considered with the help of a skateboarding architect. While no decision has been reached, Deputy Lewis assured that all options are in town. He was among the voices calling for a new skatepark at St Andrews Park, but the project was shelved following a public consultation that yielded a lot of negative comments. The location has not been completely been ruled out, however.

Pictured: Plans to build a skate park at St Andrew's Park were shelved last year after residents rejected the idea.

Constable Pallett added: "We are looking at different sites. St Andrews Park, West Park or near the seafront are all locations that have been mentioned. We are very conscious of choosing somewhere where skateboarders will not be tucked away. We want something in the open that will be designed to fit the site and the users. We don't want to design something that is not what skateboarders want."

While many islanders suggested building a skate park at Fort Regent, Mr Pallett says it wouldn't be suitable. "We still have issues with the building and we don't exactly know what we are going to do with it. I want something stable, rather than dismantling the skate park in two years to put it somewhere else." 

The working group will also have to find funding alternatives. Ports of Jersey have pledged to pay £50,000 to assist with relocating the park but Mr Pallett says that the skate park that was recently built in Guernsey cost approximatively £250,000. He however says that with trusts and funds available in Jersey, they should be available to pay for the park without public money.

Pictured: The Assistant Minister for Economic Development, Constable Steve Pallett, St Helier Deputy Andrew Lewis, and St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft have joined forces to find a new location for a skatepark.

One thing both Constable Pallett and Deputy Lewis agree on is that the input from skateboarders and park users will be crucial in the process, especially when the proposed sites go out for consultation.

"We need them to support the sites they like. There are more people likely to be anti-skatepark than in favour of it. So we want those people who will use the park to should loudly and engage with us," Deputy Lewis said.