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.