Unfortunately Great Chesterford Skatepark is coming to the end of it's safe and useful life as a skatepark with increasingly larger repairs having to be made. This means the skatepark has had to be closed off for use more frequently, disappointing many local children and residents.
Much of this is due to it's current steel modular structure with a limited shelf life and various fixtures that are wearing quite badly. We are proposing to replace the skatepark completely with a concrete based design which would be quieter for surrounding residents as well as give us the ability to cater for a wider age range.
Very little maintenance would be needed and there would be no fixtures and fittings to become loose. In it's current form the skatepark ramps need to be resurfaced almost yearly. Concrete has a 40 year plus lifetime unlike modular ramp structures which require constant ongoing maintenance and often fail after 10 years.
Rebuilding it will make it safer and more accessible to both the younger and older children of the village as the curving shapes will make it easier to ride/skate on for the younger children as well as the older, with features included to suit a range of skills from novices to those that have been skating for a few years. Also building it with concrete would make it a quieter surface improving noise levels for others enjoying the recreation ground and surrounding residents. It would also be a more adaptable surface creating a smoother ride for bikes and scooters as well as skateboards.
The skatepark provides a much needed space for teenagers in the village (as well as being used by younger and even older residents of the village), without it we will be lacking in outdoor space tailored to a mix of ages as the current play areas are tailored towards the early tweens and younger. It provides an outdoor space to meet up with friends as well as become more active. In a year or two the skatepark will become unrepairable and we will lose a much used and loved outdoor space in the village. Please help us save it.