ALTON'S second skatepark was officially opened this month and it is already proving a hit with young skateboarders. While declining the invitation to "have a go", in cutting the ribbon on the new £80,000 plus facility Alton Town Mayor Roger Fitzer said that he was delighted the project had finally been completed. He told those present: "So much time has been spent talking about this, it is nice to see something concrete at last. "I have noticed that it is already being very well used, which demonstrates that it was needed." "These ramps are a further enhancement of the town's already excellent outdoor recreational facilities and Alton, now having two skateparks, must be the envy of many other towns which are still thinking about their first one," he added. Despite prolonged and often controversial consultation, the new skatepark is a real coup for young people who live at the Holybourne end of town, many of whom found it difficult to get to the long-established facility at Jubilee Playing Fields. For years they have been asking for their own skatepark and, encouraged by former district councillor Jim McKell, managed to sell their case to Alton Town Council who have pulled out all the stops to deliver. The bulk of the cost has been met by developers, in the form of "public open space contributions generated by new housing schemes in the town, with £10,000 being donated by the Hampshire Children's Fund - a local partnership panel chaired by Jim McKell. The scheme was commissioned by Alton Town Council, which will be responsible for its ongoing maintenance. Comprising five pieces of equipment, the skatepark has been constructed of concrete in order to minimise both the noise for local residents, and the ongoing maintenance which, according to deputy town clerk, Greg Burt, has proved costly for the existing all- steel ramps at Jubilee Fields. The layout and choice of ramps were determined by users themselves at two public consultation events, one held at Anstey Park in July 2003 and a second at Alton Assembly Rooms last autumn. Mr Burt said that he was particularly grateful to Four Marks skateboarder Greg Foster for the time and advice he gave to ensure the ramps and their layout were as good as they could be. "It was difficult trying to design a facility where you asked one set of youngsters what they wanted and they said one thing, yet another group wanted something else. "Greg's help enabled us to, hopefully, provide a quality facility that will appeal to all ages and all abilities and, more importantly, will still be popular in a few years time." Mr Burt stated that while there were still one or two finishing touches still to be made, it was planned to organise a fun afternoon during the summer holidays, featuring demonstrations by professional skaters and an opportunity for young enthusiasts to enjoy other related activities.
