UPDATE: ‘Dangerous’ skate park closed by council

Thame skate park has been declared unsafe by Thame Town Councillors tonight, and closed with immediate effect.

The decision to close the facility, just days before the half-term holidays, a peak period for skate park use, was made by Thame Town Council’s Community, Leisure and Recreation committee, after it agreed to fund the £3,000 necessary to make the skate park safe temporarily.

Work to completely renovate the skate park and replace much of the equipment, cannot begin until the outcome of a Sport England, Inspired Facilities Fund application decision is known  in April, and the finalising of a Capital Grant Award agreement between Thame Town Council and South Oxfordshire District Council.

Thame’s Mayor, Jeannette Matelot Green, who has the skate park as one of her chosen charities, posted on the Thame Skate park Facebook page tonight, that the council hoped to have the repairs done in time for half-term.

Some councillors expressed concern that the skate park funding campagne was struggling to engage the skaters’ parents and the wider community. Cllr Jeannette Matelot Green was optimistic however, that the Sport England grant would be given, as she had understood that the previous application had only been turned down because Sport England were not made aware of a contribution agreed by SODC. She said that the Skate Park working group were currently working to collect the contact details of skaters’ parents to involve them in a series of planned fund-raising event.

Cllr Linda Emery had earlier in the meeting reported that the skate park was to be one of the local charities chosen to be a beneficiary of this year’s Thame Carnival.

The progress of the Thame Skate Park group can be followed via its Facebook page LINK  – VIDEO LINK  –  You can read about the back story to Thame Skate Park HERE