The construction of a long-awaited skatepark project in Finsbury Park has officially commenced.
The skate plaza will include a new deck-style hangout space and a concrete slab for beginners, along with moveable objects including kickers, a manual pad, a kerb and a wallie rail.
Designed by Bentonpark, a specialist skatepark construction company, the site will also be used for cycling, roller-skating and scootering and is wheelchair friendly.
The existing skate park will remain closed until the expected completion of building works later this month.
The project’s total budget reached nearly £200,000, of which £145,000 has been granted by Haringey Council, which oversees the park.
Bethany Anderson, the co-chair of the charity Friends of Finsbury Park, detailed the fundraising journey for the remaining funds, including successful crowdfunding campaigns and grant applications. She remarked: “We managed to raise the whole 50 grand, which is brilliant.”
In addition to community contributions, the project received backing from Sport England and British Cycling, who offered matched funding totalling £25,000.
Ms Anderson said there was a big wasteland plot that was just crumbling and wasting away adjacent to the old skate plaza in the park.
She said: “It seems ridiculous that we’ve got all this space, why are we not using it?”
The new skate park will observe closures for four weeks each year from late June to July as part of the five-year agreement of Haringey council with the Festival Republic Group.
Ms Anderson is concerned about the temporary closures: “That part of the skatepark will still be included in the Festival Republic footprint. So, it will be out of use to the public and it will be used to park trucks on and I believe they’ll probably put telephone masks and stuff on it.”
The council has assured Ms Anderson it will run checks for any damages after the event has left the site.
“We will be doing our very best to hold them to that,” said Ms Anderson.
