NEW fears have been raised over the safety of Haslemere's skate apark.
Alexandra O'Grady, the parent of a young skateboarder, has taken up her concerns with Waverley Borough Council about a recently fitted piece of equipment, known as a grindbox, and her fears that the floodlit car park is being used by the skaters on dark winter evenings.
She has been told by some of the users of the skatepark that the grindbox has been placed in a potentially dangerous position.
"I was told that if they use one of the sides of the grindbox they are likely to crack their head open if they fall off it," she said.
The piece of equipment was paid for by Haslemere Town Council and fitted at The Herons by Waverley Borough Council on December 5. It is a large box with two parallel metal rods on either side, which skateboarders use for balance and board control stunts.
One of its metal rods is immediately adjacent to a box in the centre of the two large half-pipe ramps, and it is this proximity that Mrs O'Grady claims has caused problems for some young skaters.
"I have heard that there are a lot of younger children who are visiting The Herons regularly and if they are not using the equipment in the right way, they could have an accident," she said.
Ex-European skateboarding champion, and skatepark design consultant, Andy Peerless, designed the skatepark for Waverley and gave on advice about where the grindbox should be fitted.
He said: "The grindbox is in a completely safe position. It has been fitted so that just one of its rails should be used for stunts, and it would be virtually impossible for the kids to skate on the other side of it."
The only available safe space for the box was its present position, he added, and safety regulations state that equipment should not be put too close to the perimeter fence boundaries.
But without signs explaining how the boxes and ramps should be used and without any supervision at The Herons, Mrs O'Grady maintains that there are potential risks to the safety of the young people.
David Gill, sport and recreation manager at Waverley Borough Council, said that The Herons skatepark conforms to the standards of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
"Safety is obviously the most important aspect of skatepark design, and we have taken every measure possible to ensure The Herons is a safe place for the young people to skate," he continued.
He also said that it would not possible for Waverley to employ or hire supervisors at the park because of costs.
Mr Peerless agreed that supervision was not a viable option but said that there was the always the possibility to improve skateparks, and that tuition sessions would be a good idea to help inexperienced skaters stay safe.
But, he added, the Haslemere skatepark is a safe place for young people.
Mrs O'Grady's second concern about the skatepark was that on dark winter nights the skateboarders were using the floodlit car park as an alternative skating surface, because the skatepark is too dark.
"I know this is extremely dangerous and one of the main reasons for the skatepark being built was to avoid this happening," she said.
In answer to this issue, Mr Gill said that Waverley Borough Council would only be able to put up signs discouraging young people from skateboarding in the car park.
He said the council was not planning to fit any floodlights at The Herons because as well as being expensive, they may also encourage young people to skate in unsafe conditions.
Mr Peerless agreed that skating in damp conditions was unsafe even for experienced professionals. But, he told The Herald, if Waverley invested in a covering for the skatepark and floodlights, it would be safe for young people to use it in the dark.
Mayor of Haslemere, Michael Barnes, said that he was concerned that young people were using the car park in the evenings.
"As a town council, we would like to support the skateboarders enjoying themselves and ask them to respect all the efforts that have been made in providing them with a place to skate.
"We would also like to ask them not to skate in the car park because this is a risk to their own safety and that of drivers," he added.
Mrs O'Grady was also supportive of the skateboarders and said she was very impressed by their enthusiasm and skills. "I am pleased they have a place to skate, she said, and I hope that Waverley continue to make sure it is a safe place for them.
Richard Gates, Waverley's portfolio holder for cultural and leisure provision and youth said: Since August, skaters have been enjoying the facilities at The Herons. Waverley has been working with the skaters to find out what they want and as a result it has bought the grind box.
"Although the majority of the skaters who use The Herons are careful, I would ask that they always skate safely and continue to enjoy this and other recreational facilities."