'˜Help to keep our skate park' plead Biggleswade campaigners

A community campaigner fears for the future of Biggleswade skate park after it was closed on safety grounds this week.

Ken Lynch, who helped raise around £200,000 to set up the skate park 15 years ago, is concerned the closure may be permanent.

The park was closed on Tuesday amid safety fears over the condition of the facility in Saxon Drive.

Charity and accident watchdog RoSPA is due to inspect the premises within the next fortnight.

It will then submit a report to Central Bedfordshire Council, which owns the site.

A council spokeswoman stressed the closure hasn’t been sparked by any specific incidents at the site.

She said the skate park is regularly inspected, but after the most recent visit it was decided to ask for an independent inspection of the facilities.

“The skate park was built by the former Mid-Bedfordshire District Council, and we inherited it,” she explained. “It’s the only one we own.

“These things do have a life span, and 15 years is quite a long time.”

Skateboarders are being encouraged to look at other options within the county, with the closest alternative at Potton Brook End.

There is no scheduled date to reopen the skate park at present, according to the council spokeswoman, who said RoSPA’s report would need to be considered in detail first.

“We will make a decision based on that report,” she added. “We would encourage people to use other skate parks in the meantime. It’s unfortunate that there’s a spell of nice weather, but there are other sites near by.” She said the local authority is considering whether to hold “a consultation to see how well the skate park is used”.

But Mr Lynch said: “How is it it got to the state where it has to be closed.

“We would like CBC to put it right or give us back the £200,000 that we raised.”

Biggleswade skate park is made up of metal ramps on a tarmac base, and features a mini-ramp, quarter pipes, flat banks and a jump box.