Skate park plan for Ballymena?

At last Monday night’s meeting of the full council, Councillor Beth Adger raised the point that the portable building, currently located at Ballymacvea Transfer Station, is vacant and now is the time to bring it into the town and finally turn it into a skate park.

She said: “I would ask that this is taken very seriously. There is a lot of people who like to do skateboarding. It would bring money into our town from out lying areas. Pushing very hard for this to be open as soon as possible.

“There are people who have worked tirelessly over the years and there is a list of 2000 names of people who are interested.”

A new state of the art, Urban Sports Park has recently opened in Belfast and is proving incredibly popular with skaters from all over Northern Ireland.

Councillor Davy Tweed said that many young people travel from Ballymena travel to Belfast, specifically for the use of this park.

Tweed argued that a skate park in the local area would keep scores of youngsters from leaving the town.

He said: “The people who skateboard now go to Belfast to spend the whole day there, if there was something in Ballymena then people would stay here. “People from surrounding areas would also come to Ballymena specifically for the park.”

Councillor Paul Frew suggested that the council’s development and leisure representative visit the Urban Sports Park in Ballymena to investigate how that facility was established.

Councillor Tommy Nicholl told members that he was Mayor when the issue of a new skate park first arose back and the petition of over 2000 names was handed in, back in 2006.

He said: “It’s time to get their finger out and get something done, I encourage the officers to take this golden opportunity of this free facility.

“It has to be looked at from a business perspective.”

Chief Executive Anne Donaghy told members that while it has been earmarked for the future, it is important “to scope out a business case.”

She said: “I will ensure there is a report for the August monthly meeting, council officers will liaise with relevant people.”