Skateboard Park

Recently there was a rather misleading article in the local paper about the skateboard park in Jubilee Park being scrapped.

First of all I would like to correct this. No project has been scrapped - yet. Projects are on hold until the Cabinet knows exactly from central government what future funding it will have.

I believe that the skateboard scheme should have special consideration for the following reasons:


1. The whole project cost £44,000 which was funded as follows: £15,000 from Ibstock Corey, £4,000 from my Brighter Borough funding, £10,000 from 106 monies, and £15,000 from Wigan Leisure Trust

2. The funding from WLT has already been spent in preparing the area for the skateboard park

3.In short most of this funding has originated from other sources than the 106 monies

4. This project was just on the point of being given the go ahead before this review was announced.

5. You will be aware of the long history of this project which has been going on now for 8 years or more. Young people in Ashton have been promised on several occasions that this much needed facility would go ahead In fact some of them even made the decision as to the lay out of the skateboard at a meeting held with the Friends of Jubilee Park. To withdraw this project will send a very negative message to a group of young people who have acted responsibly during the creation of this park.

I have made representations to the leader of the Council and the Cabinet outlining these points and I hope for a positive outcome.

I must say that if there had not been so much antipathy to this park - which is now deemed acceptable by most people involved - when it was first mooted six years ago young people of Ashton would probably have had a skateboard park by now and what we now should have been looking to fund was an extension to the park

Carpe diem, baby as Kojak used to say