Swale council have no plans to build more large skate parks despite renewed appeals for one in Sheerness
13:40, 29 April 2021
updated: 13:47, 29 April 2021
A council says they don't currently have plans to build any more large skate parks in the area despite a fresh appeal for a new skate park for Sheerness.
Extreme sports enthusiast Dan Newman, 22, fears youngsters on the Island have nothing to do and is pushing the council to invest in facilities.
In 2013, Sheerness Enhancement Association for Leisure (SEAL) led a campaign on the issue.
It was critical that Sittingbourne’s new Mill Way skate park was receiving a £30,000 grant while the Island was seemingly being left behind.
More than 500 young people signed a petition supporting plans for a facility, but nothing was done.
Following the latest calls, Swale council ruled out any new skate parks in the borough in the short term.
A spokesman said: "We worked with Gravity Skateparks to provide a purpose-built skate park in Mill Way in Sittingbourne for children and young people from all over the borough to enjoy.
"This central location, near Sittingbourne train station, was chosen because of the strong train and bus transport links nearby.
"The skate park is the largest in the borough with rails, grind banks, a jump box, stair set and a rotate platform ditch bowl. However, it is not the only skate park.
"We have six smaller skate parks around the borough for the children and young people who cannot access the Mill Way skate park including one in Beachfields in Sheerness, one in Whiteway Road in Queenborough, one at the Grove, Milton Recreation Ground and Kemsley Recreation Ground in Sittingbourne, and one in Faversham Recreation Ground.
"We do not currently have plans for any more larger skateparks in the borough."
But Mr Newman, who works as a delivery driver, feels the Mill Way park, opened in 2019, was made for advanced skateboarders.
He added: “With so many properties being built, that will bring so many families with children to the Island who will find themselves with not much to do.
“The facilities in Sheerness for skateboarding and BMX riding seem too small or poorly-built.”
Chris Foulds, chairman of SEAL, said its plans from eight years ago could easily be revived, but added: “The essential part is we need a young group of people to be the face of the project.
"That is the problem we had last time.”
