CONSTRUCTION of the new Les Quennevais skate park is not expected to be completed until after the school summer holidays, according to the project’s contractor.
Messages seen by the JEP sent by Latvian specialist skate-park builder Mind Work Ramps revealed that the facility is not expected to be finished until September. However, the government has refused to give a definitive timescale for the project.
Construction of the 2,000sq-m park, which will feature a bowl, rails, benches, ledges and platforms, started in February and was originally due to be finished and open by 15 July.
However, last month it was revealed that the project had been delayed owing to design changes and the knock-on impact of the war in Ukraine on Mind Work Ramps.
Skaters have lobbied for a new facility since 2018, when the New North Quay skate park was temporarily closed.
A government spokesperson said: ‘The construction work at the skate park has been progressing well. However, following suggestions from the wheeled-sports community, we made some changes to improve the designs in line with community responses, which unfortunately resulted in us missing our original slot with the contractor Mind Work Ramps.
‘We are now working with Brenwal and Mind Work to establish definitive timescales, which we will communicate as soon as they’ve been agreed by both government and the contractors. We are all working to get the park open to the public as soon as possible.’
The news of the delay has not dampened the excitement of skaters, with many saying on social media that they are happy to wait if it means they get the high-quality park they want.
One Islander wrote: ‘A lot of us have been waiting a long, long time for this but looking how far we’ve come, and the plans of the actual skate park we’re getting, I’m absolutely stoked and never thought we’d get anything like this. It’s happening, give them their time and they’ll deliver a brilliant skate park.’
Another said: ‘There is a good chance there would have also been delays with any UK company too, though. I’m personally stoked with the company we chose as I think most of the parks in the UK tend to be bland and not particularly interesting.’
And one added: ‘Speed isn’t always quality. The quality of the skate park matters more then the speed it gets built in.’
