BMX displays planned for Newbury skate park launch

Top skateboarders and BMXers expected at the official opening in Victoria Park today (Sunday)

THE new skate park in Victoria Park will be officially opened at 12pm today (Sunday) by the mayor of Newbury and other dignitaries, with top skaters and BMXers on hand to show off their skills.

After the ribbon has been cut and mayor Jeff Beck and the rest of the VIPs have headed to the new children's play area to repeat the process there, a live DJ will take over proceedings at the skate park, with exhibition skaters and bikers being followed by a skateboarding competition for local talent.

The new facility, which cost £200,000 to construct, has already been in use since June 20, and has attracted large numbers of people, but it has not been entirely without problems.

First came the, some would say, inevitable graffiti, with Newbury Town Council confirming that since construction started, two cases have been reported.

Then, there was disquiet in some quarters that the skate park would not be open to all of Newbury's self-propelled community, because scooter users have been banned from using the site due to safety fears and claims that the metal frames of their scooters will damage the concrete.

The scooter users are currently contesting these claims and have started an online petition which, by Friday afternoon, had garnered 25 signatures.

Newbury Town Council's services manager, Granville Taylor, has said, however, that the opening would be a great day for Newbury: “I think it is brilliant, we are expecting as many as 1,000 people to turn up for the event. We are expecting people to come from as far afield as Doncaster and Bristol.

“The skate park has been rated as one of the top ten in the country.

“We are hoping for good weather, but even if it rains, the proceedings will still go ahead.”