Residents criticise Newbury Town Council’s Victoria Park skatepark half-term repair timings while skaters want council to improve the facility’s infrastructure
Residents have criticised Newbury Town Council for carrying out repair work on Newbury Skatepark during half-term week.
However, skaters are pleased that work is being done to maintain the Victoria Park facility, but they would like to see the council do more to promote its use.
The town council announced on social media on Monday that some parts of the skatepark would be temporarily closed throughout the week so that it could work on removing graffiti and repairing vandalised areas.
Many residents criticised the timing of the works, with this being half-term break for schoolchildren.
On Facebook, Cary-anne Whewell commented: “Why on earth during the half term break? The children have little else to do in Newbury and you pick the half term break to do the work.”
Kerry Thomas also commented: “What genius thought to do this work during half-term, I mean for goodness sake, it’s utterly ridiculous.”
Council workers carried out the work on Tuesday morning, with one of its regular users saying he was happy to see the work being done at all, despite the timing.
Ashli Young, 35, spends two hours a day skating at Newbury Skatepark.
Speaking on Wednesday, he said: “We are happy with the council doing it. All the boys that were here yesterday, even the young lads, they thought it was a bit annoying but at least it’s getting done.
“Facilities-wise, we are one of the luckiest groups in the area. We have got one of the better parks.
“We are happy with the facility and the council do well with that, the upkeep is great.”
Despite this, Mr Young is of the opinion that the council should do more to improve the infrastructure at the recreational facility as it would improve the lives of young people in Newbury.
He said: “This is the lifeblood for quite a lot of young people out here.
“I see these kids here every day and they come and sit here and talk about their lives.
“There’s quite a lot of troubled kids that just want to hang out.”
He and his fellow skaters want the council to install some lights so that the skatepark can be used after dark during the winter months.
Mr Young reasoned that the park should have its own lights considering the nearby tennis courts are lit up after dark throughout winter as well.
Skaters also want to see a path constructed through the grass to the skatepark in order to protect their equipment from mud and dirt.
Mr Young said that once the new financial year begins in April, he is going to campaign to have the town council install the lights and path.
He also thought that Newbury Skatepark could become a way to promote positive street art in the town.
He asked: “Why can’t we have good graffiti at the skatepark?
“I’m not a graffiti artist myself, but skateparks are where art should be in my opinion.”
Mr Young suggested that a community event be held in the summer which would have artists decorating the park with murals and teaching young people how to paint.
