Exciting plans for new, state-of-art skate facilities at Royal Victoria Park Skate Park have been announced by the Council’s Cabinet as part of a £540,000 investment in outdoor activities.
The proposals to use the £540,000 include:
- £300,000 to replace the existing skate ramps at Royal Victoria Park, likely to include a modern concrete bowl and street skating features to help return the facility to a regional destination for serious skaters. Also includes improvements to litter bins, recycling facilities, seating and a designated BBQ area so that visitors can enjoy a BBQ without destroying the grass.
- £100,000 to continue with the planned replacement of old play equipment across the area within Council managed children’s play areas with new stimulating, modern equipment;
- £100,000 for an extra local skate-park facility in an open space to the east of Bath to meet demand;
- £40,000 for improvements at the Sandpits play area, including drainage to improve a boggy area, safety barriers and site fencing.
Councillor David Dixon (Lib-Dem, Oldfield), Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “It is important that the Council upgrades its play and park facilities so that young people and families have high quality locations where they can enjoy their leisure time and stay active.
“By aspiring for Royal Victoria Park to return to a regional destination for serious skaters, we will also be encouraging more people to visit the city which is positive for traders. The Cabinet is also aware of demand east of Bath and we are proposing an extra skate park facility that will be subject to extensive consultation.
“In line with national projections, the birth rate in our area is increasing above expectations. Whilst the Council must take action on obvious services, like school expansion, we must prepare everyday local amenities for greater numbers of young people and their families which is one of the prime reasons behind the Cabinet proposal.”
Numbers of live births in B&NES have been increasing over the past ten years from 1662 in 2001 to approximately 2,000 in 2012.
