Skateboard consultant sought by Swansea Council to help improve county skate-park facilities

A SKATEBOARD consultant is being sought by Swansea Council to help improve the county’s skate, scooter and BMX facilities.

The person or organisation, which must have experience in the role, will liaise with various groups and communities and then draw up a series of options, including costs and timelines.

These options will guide council chiefs when they decide how to spend £1 million upgrading and potentially adding to Swansea’s skate and BMX network. The idea at this stage is that the consultant would be retained to help appoint contractors.

Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, cabinet member for investment, regeneration and tourism, said: “We want to create among the best network of skate, BMX and wheeled sports facilities of any local authority in Wales.

“Whoever is chosen will support our ambition to provide top-class new facilities. Their proposals will be inspired by close consultation with our local skate and BMX communities and young people.”

He said the council had played a significant role in creating the new Mumbles Skate Park, and that procuring the services of an expert would help ensure value for money and facilities that users really wanted.

“Support for Mumbles Skate Park, which we enabled the local community council to deliver by leasing the land that it stands on, demonstrates the enthusiasm and energy there is in the local skate community,” said Cllr Francis-Davies.

There are skate and BMX facilities on Swansea Council-owned land in Brynmill, Gorseinon and Morriston, among others. The authority said these facilities were well-used but that some needed investment.

Skateboarder Scott Emanuel-Trinca, who skates at Brynmill’s Victoria Park, said investment was a great idea. “The skate park at Mumbles is brilliant, but there isn’t enough stuff in local areas,” said the 20-year-old, of Penlan.

He said just about everybody his age wanted to try skateboarding. He said: “I say to them, ‘Why don’t you?’ They always say, ‘Lack of facilities.’”

Cllr Francis Davies said the last Olympic Games, in Tokyo, led to a surge in interest in skateboarding and BMX riding, and that this would likely be replicated at next summer’s Olympics in Paris.

“Who knows, in future years there may be competitors representing their country who first found their balance at one of our Swansea venues,” he said.