THE details of a proposed skatepark and parkour area at Weymouth’s Marsh playing fields have been submitted for planning consent.

Weymouth Town Council is spending £350,000 on the Knightsdale Road project with a specialist company from Poole expected to install the new facility – if permission is granted.

It is planned for the area where the cinder running track used to be with a new crushed stone path from the car park and earth bunds around the perimeter of the site.

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The parkour park will be placed on rubber-based safety surface, with a series of concrete blocks leading to a number of linked galvanised steel monkey swing bars with a second set incorporated into concrete running walls.

The town council say both the skateparks design and the parkour design meet with the guidelines set down by the respective governing bodies and is aimed at all ages and abilities.

Documents submitted with the planning application claim that skate parks and similar facilities help cut down on crime and anti-social behaviour: “Well documented evidence from Police forces across the UK attests to sports facilities such as the proposed, being a positive contributing factor for developing social inclusion and reducing crime numbers; especially among youths. Individuals and groups of people from all ages and backgrounds, who are often less engaged in more conventional sporting activities, gravitate toward free-to-use spaces such as skateparks, to develop their skills in both physical activity and social interaction. The provision of such a facility is aligned with the Government’s wider strategy of providing younger people with creative and contemporary outdoor spaces which will promote a more active and healthy way of life.”

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Said Weymouth town councillor Alex Fuhrmann earlier in the year: “We have a really great parks team who are really passionate about the project and we’ve engaged well with Maverick skate park designs.

“It’s just something that is really popular and engaging with lots of residents. We’ve always had a good history of producing sponsored and pro-am riders from the area, and this just seemed like a great opportunity – especially since nearby skateparks, like in Dorchester, are rammed all the time.”

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The town council say they would like the facility to become a family attraction and, as with the Dorchester skate park, is expected to be used not only by skaters but by BMX riders and scooters as well.

Comments on the application, Dorset Council reference 2021/03510, remain open until October 21st.

Design proposals for the Marsh skatepark and parkour area – courtesy Weymouth Town Council and Maverick.