Antrim and Newtownabbey: Young people to have a say on plan for ‘granite style’ skate park with floodlighting
A young person’s group is to be given a say by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council to help shape a new skate park.
Councillors have approved a ‘granite style skate plaza’ with floodlighting for the proposed facility to be located at the Peace Play Park at Antrim Forum.
A report presented behind closed doors to the council’s Operations Committee last month said that the project would “adopt the design and engagement approach used for the PEACE IV Skate 100 project at V36 Valley Park”.
It indicated that a project steering group will be established including representation from a “young person’s reference group to support ongoing consultation with stakeholders during design and implementation”.
Minutes also indicated that councillors requested that consideration be given to inviting a local resident to be part of the steering committee and an option for the provision for board hire be explored.
It is anticipated that the proposed design would provide a “modern, high-quality skate plaza design with the highest capacity and participation potential” as well as floodlighting to “enable year-round and evening use, maximising return on investment and secure fencing to support effective site management and address concerns regarding out-of-hours access and anti-social behaviour”, minutes said.
The report stated that although the preferred option “represented the highest capital investment, it delivered the most comprehensive solution and the greatest long-term community benefit”.
It was noted that the project would be primarily funded through PEACEPLUS.
It was proposed by Ballyclare DUP Councillor Jeannie Archibald-Brown and seconded by party colleague Dunsilly Alderman Linda Clarke and agreed that the proposed urban skate park at Antrim Forum be included on the council’s capital programme and the granite style skate plaza with lighting and fencing to be taken forward as the preferred option to the next stage of the process.
The report also noted that a recent inspection and audit at the Peace Play Park confirmed that the equipment had “reached ‘end of life’" and the facility was “no longer safe or fit for purpose”.
The proposed new skate park has been earmarked for Antrim through PEACEPLUS funding. The fifth programme worth almost £400k which is based on the them of ‘Our Active Borough’ is to be delivered by the local authority.
The PEACEPLUS programme is a 1.1bn cross-border funding programme created to strengthen peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland and the border counties of the Republic of Ireland. Overall, the council has secured £4.4m to deliver programmes and projects locally until October 2028.
Previously, the initiative saw the creation of one of the UK’s largest skate parks Skate 100 which opened at the V36 beside the Valley Leisure Centre, in Newtownabbey, in May 2022. The facility was developed at a cost of £0.75m.
The 14,000 sq ft facility is suitable for skateboards, scooters, in-line skating and BMX freestyle. At the time of opening, there were calls for a similar skate park in Antrim.
Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter