THE Llandrindod Wells Skatepark Project is a step closer to becoming a reality with plans submitted and the application soon to be available for public consultation.
Llandrindod Wells Town Council submitted their application for the long-heralded Princes Avenue project to Powys County Council (PCC) on May 20.
The new facility will replace the existing metal-framed timber surface skate ramp that was built in the early 2000s, and while well-used, it has had multiple repairs throughout the years and is now nearing the end of its life span.
The skate and bike park would be built on the site of the current halfpipe, with a ‘flow style’ park catering for beginner and intermediate level skaters and riders.
The proposed facility would include skatepark favourites, from a bowl, dish, ledges and banks, to a bowled corner, gap manual pad, hubba and handrail, as well as a street area.
It will be open to skateboards, BMX, wheelchairs, scooters, roller bladers/skaters and other wheeled sports users.
The application also seeks permission to provide landscaping around the skatepark, and a rain garden to meet environmental impact targets.
As part of its case for supporting the application, the town council said: “Ultimately, we want the town to become a sporting hub for this rural area, bringing new vibrancy and energy to the town which is affected by issues of poverty and deprivation.”
Led by the town council steering group, the project is made up of several local groups and stakeholders, including Dod Town Xtreme, Llandrindod’s Ready to Roll and Powys County Council, with the Heart of Wales Skateboarders inspiring the original idea.
The town council revealed in August 2021 that land had been acquired from the local authority.
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A 25-year lease was secured from PCC and the town council then began starting to attract grant money to fund it.
Town councillors Steve Deeks-D’Silva, Kim Nicholls and town clerk Jane Johnston have spearheaded the project, which may have been green-lighted earlier, but for the Covid-19 pandemic.
After the Llandrindod Wells Skatepark Project posted artist’s impressions of what the skatepark could look like on its Facebook page last August, the fact plans have now been submitted mean the project is really rolling along.
In a detailed supporting document accompanying the application which gathered data and facts from surveys, 61 per cent of parents interviewed said they currently travel up to 30 miles away from Llandrindod so their children can access other skating facilities, while 60 per cent of children said they currently skate on pavements, car parks or nowhere.
A new outdoor skate and bike park was high on the list of priorities for potential developments from a 2021 community consultation on local sport provision, with current facilities deemed poor and unsafe.
“We’ve delivered before and we’ll deliver again,” said the town council in the supporting document.
“Llandrindod Town Council have a successful history of delivering various projects that have improved the town.
“For instance, the large £90,000 conversion of derelict land to an exciting family activity area, the Princes Avenue Leisure Park, in 2019. This has produced benefits for the health and wellbeing of the community."
Visit the town council website at t.ly/mXGJJ for a notice of the consultation or for further information on the application, visit t.ly/dBL7u.
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