Plea to move condemned Lee-on-the-Solent skatepark to a safer location

Parents Matt Grey and Beth Frecknall launched the petition to ‘relocate and save Lee-on-the-Solent Skate Park’ on Monday, May 26 on Change.org. He said it is early days but they have 167 signatures in four days. To have a full Gosport Borough Council debate, a petition must have 1,500 signatures that hold verifiable names, addresses and email addresses. If the petition reaches 750 signatures then the appropriate senior council officer will give evidence at a public meeting of the council’s relevant service board.

Mr Grey said: “I want my son to grow up in an area with facilities. I was a bored, angry teenager until I started skateboarding. I want it [a skatepark] for other children around here.”

He said he knew that it was the Conservative council who moved the skate park to its current location in 2018 to make way for the splash park, putting it in the wrong place, dubbing it “inherently dangerous” and an “absolute shambles”.

But he said it is still the council’s responsibility to open another skatepark and give the youngsters of Gosport somewhere to go ‘not hanging around on streets.’

“There is very little to do for older children, six-year-olds to high-teens in Lee-on-Solent. They can’t even swim in the sea at the moment because it’s full of disgusting sewage. They should do something instead of skirting around the fact it’s been closed,” said roofer Mr Grey, who has a toddler.

Mr Grey said it was “criminal” that plans had not been made for it to be replaced. A skater for 24 years, he met former councillor Maggie Morgan who championed facilities for the young in her ward when he started at Leesland Park skatepark. In his view, the benefits of skateboarding include giving youngsters self-discipline, helping the young keep on top of their mental health, not getting bored, having somewhere to go and that skateparks are inclusive and a free space for creative minds.

He said it was still early days but had spoken to the council and deputy mayor Kirsten Bradly (Lib Dem, Lee East) to learn how they could raise funds for a new skatepark, and find a new location because even walking around the closed skatepark was dangerous. He said the lack of a promise to replace was robbing the younger members of the community.

The change.org petition said: ”It is a sport now included in the Olympics, not having any facility for all wheeled sports excludes people who have it as their main hobby. The popularity of the skatepark before it was moved to its current site shows how much it is needed in the area.”

Mr Grey suggested three locations could be considered for a new skatepark: Lee-on-the-Solent recreation ground, Alver Valley Country Park where there is already a national standard BMX track and a smaller pump track, and Cherque Farm Estate which he said has a play area and enough open space for potential facilities.

Deputy mayor Cllr Bradley said: “A suitable location and budget needs to be found to enable a new skatepark to be constructed. I will of course support this and would be extremely pleased to see the facility return. I know from discussion and feedback, many of the local residents would feel the same too. At present, the priority is to make the skatepark secure and find the funds to remove it. Unfortunately, those breaking the barriers and using the park only add to the cost.”

The council said the equipment, surfaces and location posed an unacceptable risk to users, with a spokesperson adding: “The council has had to close the skatepark due to it being declared unsafe. The council is currently considering possible future options and usage for the site.”