How the new skate park may look

Work has started on building a state-of-the-art skate park in Preston.

Moor Park is to be home to the skate park which is costing £320,000 and being designed by one of the UK’s leading skate park construction companies.

Freestyle Skate Parks are on site in the grade II listed park to start construction in the North East edge of the park near the main car park.

Phil Clarkson from Freestyle, Chris from Preston Skatepark Projects, Mayoress Barbara Pomfret, Mayor Cllr Nick Pomfret, Paul Lampkin Preston City Council Park Ranger and Malcolm Tyrell from the Friends of Moor Park group

Mayor of Preston councillor Nick Pomfret said: “The skate park is going to be a great addition to an already beautiful and well-used Preston park. It is going to be an excellent facility that will benefit a lot of young people, but also be a draw for people from across the North West.”

The skate park is being funded by the Heritage and Big Lottery Funds – as part of a £2.3 million restoration project in Moor Park – additional funding is coming from Preston City Council, UCLan and Community Gateway Association.

Bob Frost, chair of Preston Skatepark Projects, said: “This will be a great project and encourage more people to use Moor Park, which is what the heritage lottery scheme is all about. The skatepark will strengthen what is already a great city centre park and give the youth of the city an alternative to the more traditional sports already on offer.”

The skate park is due to be completed by Autumn this year.

On Monday the city council’s planning committee approved amended designs which increase the size of the skate park.

Will you be using the skate park? What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments below