[ad_1]
Improvements at Coed Mawr skatepark in Bangor will be removed by Gwynedd Council, because they were installed without permission and don’t meet the required safety standards, according to council officials.
A group of skaters from across Gwynedd and Anglesey have been working on expanding the skatepark for the last two years, building a number of ramps and obstacles to improve the skate park, however the council have now cordoned off the area and are planning to remove the ramps.
Although the skaters admit they did not apply for permission, they believed they were building the ramps to the standards for public play spaces and the council would have no desire to remove them.
One of the skaters, Jasper Clough, said: “We have built the obstacles in our own time using our own money and they have become features that skaters from out-of-town travel to visit.
“Having tried to go through official channels in the past to get our demands heard, we’ve found the bureaucracy is too slow moving and too time consuming for our needs. The official skatepark is inadequate as it stands.
“The design of these skate obstacles draws on the knowledge and experience of two different professional skatepark builders and designers as well as the architectural and engineering experience.
“We built the DIY ramps in Holyhead that led to the skatepark that exists there now. We also built ramps for Pontio’s Concrit festival, as well as carrying out an interactive demonstration and lessons. We have worked on the New Bird skatepark in Liverpool, as well as private ramps in Bethesda. We have maintained the Bangor bowl for a decade.
“Birmingham city council found a way to sanction a diy skatepark in Bournbrook, but Gwynedd council are unwilling to put the effort in to protect and expand the facilities by the residents of their constituency, built by the community for the community.
“We’ve also been awarded an additional £500 by clown skateboards to continue our efforts. We have previously raised funds inside north Wales and online, getting money sent to us from all over the UK skate scene.”
Despite their best efforts and appeals to Gwynedd Council, the additional ramps at the skate park now look set to be removed.
An email to the skaters from Gwynedd Council Highways & Municipal Service said: “After discussions with the Head of Service and Health and Safety Reps, and a report by ROSPA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) on the ramps in question they note that these ramps do not meet the required standards, therefore we have no option but to remove them and they have already been cordoned off.
“It is unfortunate that you knowingly took the decision to build them knowing that you needed permission but did not approach us in order for us to work together. Our health and safety representatives require that any construction are built in accordance with CDM Regulations 2015 and that a Principal Designer and Contractor are appointed in order to protect the public in order to satisfy its construction as it is Council land and the liability that comes with this and our insurers insist on this.
“Therefore unfortunately we will be making arrangements to remove them from this site. In terms of looking towards the future any developments that you may wish to see at this skatepark will need to be discussed with this Service before moving forward.”
[ad_2]
Source link
