Slades Farm skatepark in Winton, Bournemouth is one of the oldest skateparks in the UK. Built in 1978, the park has been home to numerous competitions, community jams and much loved by skaters, BMX riders and scooter riders for decades. But this fantastic local resource is now a victim of complacency, neglect and antisocial behaviour. We need your help to make things right.

Since its construction - over 40 years ago - Slades has rarely been updated and has fallen into a state of sad disrepair. The bowls are full of cracks and holes that small skateboard wheels can get stuck in, causing falls and injuries. The flat ground of the park is rough and isn’t enjoyable or safe to skate on. While hundreds of thousands of pounds have been invested into the nearby velodrome, the skatepark has seemingly been ignored by a council that extols the virtues of exercise and outdoor activity.

The lack of appeal for genuine skaters means that Slades skatepark often attracts the wrong sort of people, drinking, abusing drugs and smashing bottles, making the area feel unsafe and putting off local families from visiting. In contrast more modern skateparks such as Two Riversmeet, Wimborne and West Moors are full of skaters and other riders, who simply want to skate, ride, have fun and don’t cause harm or disruption to the local area. Families are having to get in their cars to drive to these skateparks out of Bournemouth, adding to pollution and congestion for the want of a local skatepark that they can walk or skate to!

I’m petitioning for the complete refurbishment of Slades skatepark. Rebuilding or re-concreting the skatepark would bring local children and young people back to the park, re-energising the area, making it safer and more family friendly and reducing the carbon emissions and increased traffic across the borough of people having to drive to a satisfactory skatepark.

Once brought up to standard, a skatepark requires very little maintenance and so a one-time investment into this important local resource would be an excellent use of resources for the children and young people of Bournemouth and fall within a single budget cycle of our council.

So come on, let’s act together and get this petition signed and do something positive for our local environment and an active lifestyle.