Plans for a new children’s skate park at Alice Park in Bath have been given the go-ahead by Bath & North East Somerset Council.
The Council’s Cabinet Member for Development & Neighbourhoods, Cllr Bob Goodman, has given approval for £97,000 to be awarded to the Alice Park Trust to enable work to start on the new facility, with any underspend being used for other play area improvements.
Plans for the skate park have been developed with the Council by the new Alice Park Trust, which includes both councillors and residents. The Trust was established in 2015 to oversee park management and meet the obligations set out within the covenant which covers Alice Park.
Chair of the Alice Park Trust, Councillor Michael Norton, said, “Alice Park is one of Bath’s most valued community assets, and the Alice Park Trust is very mindful of the need to balance the interests of all park users as well as local residents in the area.
“We considered carefully various proposals for a new skate facility in the park and concluded that a new skate facility aimed at children and learners would benefit local families and park users.
“Taking on board comments from park users and residents, the Trust has also agreed to modify the original skate park plans so that the facility now planned is of a smaller scale and less intrusive to the existing park.
“The Trust is also keen to see improvements to other facilities in the park, so we are pleased that the Council has agreed that any surplus left over from building the skate park can be used towards other play area improvements.”
The skate park has also attracted £30,000 of private donations, £20,000 from the Medlock Trust and a private donation of £10,000 by an anonymous Larkhall resident.
The operational management will be undertaken by the Council’s parks department as part of its agreement with the Alice Park Trust, but the skate park users will be encouraged to keep the skate park litter-free.
Other possible sites in eastern Bath were considered for the facility, but none were considered suitable. A public consultation was carried out in 2014.
The park, which is located at the A4/Gloucester Road junction, currently has a playground but no facilities that are aimed at older children and young people.
The operational management of the facility will be undertaken by the Alice Park Trust sub-committee.
The decision to go ahead is subject to a possible call-in.