Petition for Chesterfield Skatepark repairs reaches 1,000 signatures

The petition calling for essential maintenance of the skatepark, behind Ravenside Retail Park, has been launched by young people who use the facility, and has received backing of Brockwell councillor Ed Fordham who plans to present it to Chesterfield Borough Council at the next meeting in May.

Councillor Fordham got involved when one of the young skaters bought some books from his stall on Chesterfield Market and told him of the hopes to update the tired facility.

He said: “They’re desperately responsible.”

“They’re quite an impressive group of all ages – it’s very diverse,” Coun Fordham added.

The petition calls for light bulbs to be installed and a new bin, it also requests either a bench or seating area for parents, who have a ‘tendency to stand or sit in the way unintentionally’.

In addition, the petition asks for some metal coping on one of the blocks, which has become ‘so sharp and dented it is almost unskateable’.

Coun Fordham said the skatepark was a valuable community facility, commenting: “Youth groups and youth clubs have gone and it’s outdoors.”

He pointed out that skateboarding is now an Olympic sport and he thought it possible the next medal-winner could be from Chesterfield.

Coun Fordham said that Chesterfield Skatepark was the largest in the area and brought into question whether neighbouring facilities should be enlarged or improved.

“The objective is to get a conversation between the and all the various authorities really, so it’s a mix between the borough council, Derbyshire County Council, the fire brigade,” he said.

Coun Fordham said he’s been contacted by residents living nearby with concerns over potential crime and anti-social behaviour at the facility, and said he thought young people tended to be blamed for this, when it was often not the case.

For this reason, Coun Fordham also hopes to liaise with the local police to discuss the issue.

The petition will be presented at the next full council meeting in a couple of weeks time and is likely to be discussed at the meeting in July.

To sign the petition, visit change.org/p/derbyshire-county-council-maintenance-of-chesterfield-skatepark