A popular BMX and skateboarding park in Irlam will have to be dismantled and replaced due to health and safety fears.
Opened at Princes Park in July 2005, the skate park attracts dozens of young people from all over Salford and Manchester every day.
But due to its popularity, council engineers have to make constant patch-up repairs to the ramps.
From 2 November 2015 the skate park will be ‘decommissioned’ and taken out of action.
Current estimates put the repair time at six months, and it’s thought the cost of the refurbishment could hit £150,000.
Councillor Peter Taylor, who represents Irlam, explained: “When it was installed, no-one envisaged how popular the skate park would become.
“We’re delighted to have young people coming from all over the region, not just Irlam and Cadishead, to use it.
“It’s fantastic to see all the kids there using the facility, they police themselves and we’ve never had any trouble.
“But the ramps do have holes in them and we can’t let it deteriorate for much longer in case there is some kind of accident.”
Cllr Taylor added: “Finding funding for any project, no matter how worthy, is getting increasingly difficult, but we’re optimistic that we’ll be able to raise the money and get this brilliant community facility re-opened as soon as possible.”
It’s thought a series of fundraisers will be planned to help raise the money needed.
In a statement Salford City Council posted on Facebook: “Due to the cost of the ongoing repairs, it is unfortunately no longer sustainable to continue patching up and repairing the ramps.
“Salford City Council and partners are now proposing to replace the BMX/Skate Park…and are looking at various external funding opportunities to enable this to happen.
“It is hoped that, subject to funding, a new structure will be installed early/mid 2016.”
Main image: Joe Cox/Zeal BMX
