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Skate-friendly street furniture is being installed in Millennium Park today to make up for the lack of a skatepark in town this winter, with the harbour skatepark set to close by the end of the year.
Some excited skaters view the new facilities as more "authentic" and "accessible" than traditional skateparks, while others call for an alternative St Helier skatepark to be "delivered as a priority" because the "highest density of users are based" in town.
This development comes after the Government confirmed that the North Quay Skatepark will be removed in mid-December, while plans to create a replacement town skate park at South Hill Gardens continue to be delayed.
However, benches will be installed at the back of Millennium Park for both sitting and skating today as part of a one-year pilot programme to create more skate facilities in town.
Pictured: “This is our first step towards making skate facilities a permanent feature in St Helier," said Deputy Stephenson.
The Assistant Minister with responsibility for sport, Deputy Lucy Stephenson, said: “This is our first step towards making skate facilities a permanent feature in St Helier, while we continue our work to develop a new town skatepark which will replace the New North Quay Skatepark."
Skate-friendly street furniture is intended to make skating and other wheeled activities in urban areas safe and fun, while also taking into account the needs of the larger community.
Skateboarder and youth worker Luka Pinto said he was "really excited" about the street furniture project, considering it versatile and akin to functional art.
He believes that the new Millennium facilities will offer a more "authentic" experience for street skateboarding compared to traditional skateparks.
"A skatepark is like a simulation, like those fake wave pools, whereas street skateboarding is more real, like the ocean," he explained, adding that street furniture is like "multi-purpose, skateable art".
Pictured: "A skatepark is like a simulation, like those fake wave pools, whereas street skateboarding is more real, like the ocean."
Luka continued: "The town skatepark is not the best but I'm really glad it's been here for the past 15 years for me and my friends growing up – a place to skate and paint and just go and hang out... but I'm not too sad to see the town skatepark go now we've got the new one for the next generation".
"I really think an indoor facility would make a huge difference to (especially young) people's quality of life living here throughout the winter," he added.
Sophie Kilpatrick – a member of Skateboard Jersey who organises skate sessions for women – said: "The town skatepark has been a much-loved and well-used skatepark for many years and it will be really sad to see it be removed.
"It is still a central hub for park users and I really hope that some of the ramps can be put to use elsewhere."
She added: "There is definitely still a real need for a more central skatepark.
"We are all so happy with the new Les Quennevais park which is phenomenal but we are still hearing from users that they can’t always get up there."
Pictured: "We are all so happy with the new Les Quennevais park which is phenomenal but we are still hearing from users that they can’t always get up there."
Sophie also mentioned that once the town skatepark is closed, the women's skate sessions will have to relocate to Les Quennevais, but "the majority [of attendees] said they may not be able to always make it" there.
"Many of them work in town and won't have time to get to Les Quennevais," she explained.
"Also, a lot of the parents of the children said it’s too far to get them there and back on a school night to then get them home and ready for bed and their views were it’s a lot easier having it in town as it’s so much closer."
Deputy Stephenson acknowledged this concern and said: "Les Quennevais Skatepark has been incredibly popular, but we recognise the importance of providing facilities in town and this is what we’re now focused on."
Sophie described the skate furniture as a "fantastic start around the parish" but said that "with the news of the removal of the town skatepark, an alternative central skatepark must now be delivered as a priority".
She added: "With an island that has a serious increase in mental health among youths, CAMHS referrals are so high with waitlists. Also, the recent figures for obesity put out are extremely high. We need to keep people outside and moving! Jersey has promised to ‘put children first’."
The Vice President of the Jersey Skateparks Association, Daco Fernandes, said: “We’re really excited about this initiative and how it will make skateboarding and other wheeled sports more accessible.
"We’re really pleased that these new facilities are happening in St Helier, and look forward to announcing more developments soon.”
Chair of Skateboard Jersey, Phil Minty explained: “Integrating skate facilities like this into public space has been a huge success in many places around the world, and this addition to St Helier is a great step forward for skateboarding in Jersey, bringing an energetic new element to our most urban and densely populated parish.”
However, he added: "When the town skatepark is removed, the nearest skatepark to a huge number of islanders [Les Quennevais or St John] will be out of realistic range at any time other than weekends for a significant proportion of each year.
Pictured: "It's vital to have more skatepark facilities in St Helier, where the highest density of users are based."
"The benefits of such an intensely active and social pursuit as skateboarding has positive effects which run deep, and with our current health concerns in terms of obesity and mental health, especially for our young people, they're an extremely cost-effective preventative measure.
"It's vital to have more skatepark facilities in St Helier, where the highest density of users are based."
Karl Payne, chair of the Jersey Skateparks Association, said that members were collaborating with the Government to provide facilities in St Helier through the funding as allocated in the Government Plan.
He said: "We will continue to push forward in order to get a proper St Helier skatepark done as a matter of urgency – the community value of facilities like Les Quennevais cannot be overstated."
The announcement of skate-friendly being installed in Millennium Park comes as the Government confirms that he North Quay Skatepark will close at 21:00 on 15 December.
Ports of Jersey have submitted a planning application to convert the area by the harbour currently occupied by the skatepark into a freight-handling zone for port operations.
Ports Communications Manager, Linzi Duckworth, explained: “The change of use will provide flexibility for freight operators at New North Quay, while Elizabeth Harbour is reconfigured.”
This project is part of the St Helier Ports Master Plan, which intends to update infrastructure and improve linkages to the town by transforming several sites, including New North Quay.
Pictured: Lucy Stephenson at the Les Quennevais Skatepark Opening. (David Ferguson)
Before its temporary conversion into a skate park in 2008, the North Quay site was a car park.
The planning application for its conversation stated that the skate park would be removed after 15 years and the site would be reverted to its former use as a car park.
“The New North Quay Skatepark was only ever designed as a temporary arrangement for 15 years, and its planning permit reflects that," said Deputy Stephenson.
She added: "The equipment at the facility has been very well used, but I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to find a new owner to ensure it is reused and recycled in an appropriate way."
In 2021, the States agreed to build a replacement town skatepark at South Hill, Mount Bingham – but this has yet to materialise.
Deputy Stephenson said: “We have plans for a new skatepark at South Hill and the team is working through some of the finer details before a planning application can be submitted.
“There’s money allocated in the Government Plan to allow us to move this forward as quickly as possible, and it remains a priority for both myself and the Infrastructure Minister."
Pictured: The original South Hill application, which was submitted in March 2021, was withdrawn earlier this year due to concerns over "heritage and ecology issues".
The application for the South Hill facility, which was first submitted in March 2021, sought to deliver the facility by January 2022 in order to promote "islanders' physical and mental health."
However, the application was withdrawn due to concerns about heritage and ecology in 2022, with officials working with key stakeholders and contractors to make the revised park plans more landscape-oriented and connected with the surrounding environment.
Principal engineer Oliver Brewster stated earlier this year that they were in the final stages of additional feasibility work on South Hill.
"Subject to the outcomes of the feasibility work and any planning application, construction would commence in 2024," he said in February.
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