MORE than £300,000 has been allocated this year for improvements to the Les Quennevais skate park.
Infrastructure Minister Andy Jehan confirmed that the funding covered the installation of floodlights and “enhancements to welfare facilities”.
The long-awaited £1.9 million skate park opened to much fanfare in February last year.
Responding to a written question from Deputy Inna Gardiner, Mr Jehan said that alongside the £310,000 for capital improvements, there was a £9,500 revenue budget in place “for the facility’s operational needs”.
Deputy Gardiner also asked whether Mr Jehan planned to use any of the budget to provide better educational signage regarding the use of helmets at the Les Quennevais facility and at other skate parks in the Island.
Mr Jehan said that the UK’s national standards body outlined safety guidelines for skate parks, and provided guidance that clear and visible signage should be installed informing users that the “use of appropriate protective equipment (eg helmet, knee pads, elbow pads etc) is recommended,” he said.
The minister stressed that the signage at Les Quennevais went beyond that, “and states that we strongly recommend the use of protection such as helmets and wrist guards”.
“As you know, the skate park is not supervised, so as operators we are unable to enforce the wearing of helmets, but it’s important to note that the majority of users choose to wear helmets,” he said, adding that signage at the skate park was created with input from the Jersey Skateparks Association.
