Local democracy

ePetition details

Bradford Skatepark

We the undersigned petition the council to Assist and provide part-funding for the planning and construction of an indoor skatepark within the centre of Bradford.

This petition is to show support from the local community and prove that there is a genuine need for a new, large, preferably indoor skate park facility in Bradford.
Although we do currently have a few smaller outdoor facilities, these have either been designed with no purposeful function, perhaps having been built to simply say that the need for a skatepark has been fulfilled. These parks also suffer from issues of anti social behaviour from non-skate park users.
In addition to these issues, all of the existing facilities are outdoors and so only available for use during dry weather, which as we know in the UK can be rare!
Bradfords skateparks have all been affected by years of weathering, made worse by being located within a field in most cases. Drainage hasn’t been properly considered which results in mud and puddling, making the skatepark unfit for purpose.
Bradford is a central hub to the region in terms of local transport and rail connections. The nearest indoor facilities are Halifax and Leeds, both of which can be a 40 minute drive away. Participation at these venues is high and they have a constant stream of visitors travelling from across the region to use the parks to skateboard and scooter.
With the introduction of skateboarding as an Olympic sport in 2020, the increased popularity of wheeled sports amongst people of all ages, the lack of an indoor local facility and the known benefits of aiding youth access to sports facilities, we believe the time is right for Bradford to capitalise on this opportunity and build an indoor skate park. Putting Bradford on the map!
There is also a growing UK skateboarding and scootering community on social media. Instagram pages such as GSNE, Shred The North, Tic-Tac Skate School, RWTG’s, Scooterking, ScooterHub and Pro Xtreme Sports to name but a few indicates a resurgence of popularity for men and women of all ages. There is definitely a skateboarding scene in Bradford as we have discovered from the creation of our local skate Instagram page, Idle Grind, which continues to build momentum.
We are proposing to build a large indoor skatepark in Bradford for the benefit of anyone wishing to take part in skateboarding and scootering. In an ideal scenario, this would be built in an existing, empty building in the city centre, an ideal location to enhance accessibility for those travelling to Bradford, which would give an added economical benefit to our city as a whole.
We are looking for support from Bradford Council to find a location and to back the project providing some of the funding required, whilst also raising funds through fundraising events, local sponsorship and grants. If we are unable to find a suitable premise to build an indoor facility, then we would be looking to build a large, bespoke outdoor facility on empty land through the support of Bradford Council.
With an indoor facility, there are several benefits aside from it being able to be used despite the weather.
Firstly, as it would be staffed, there is an element of risk reduction as unsafe or dangerous behaviour would be stopped. Secondly, we would propose to charge a small entrance fee. This would not only cover the cost of maintenance, staff and upkeep of the building, but would also prevent the possibility of antisocial behaviour which can sometimes come from non skate park users loitering at outdoor parks.
We could further enhance the economic viability of the park by including a cafe and shop, either leasing out the space to a local business or by running it as a commercial venture alongside the park. Whichever option is used, it would bring money into the Bradford economy and any profits made could be used to enhance the park in the future. The park could also function as a training centre to nurture our young talent and hopefully lead to global recognition.

This ePetition ran from 09/01/2020 to 01/06/2021 and has now finished.

299 people signed this ePetition.