New Bridgend skateboard and BMX park ramps up the success

An underused former tennis court has seen a 360⁰ transformation to become a popular new £59,000 skateboard and BMX park.

Located at Felindre Road in Pencoed, the design for the new skate park features a mix of ramps and ‘street elements’ which flow effortlessly together to create an environment suitable for people of all ages and abilities.

The original site was converted after it was found to be underused and unpopular among local young people in the area.

Having already successfully developed a multi-use games area at Felindre Road, Pencoed Town Council expressed interest in taking on the site via a Community Asset Transfer in January 2017.

To support their plans, they secured a £20,000 grant from Bridgend County Borough Council’s ‘Town and Community Council Fund’ which helped meet the overall £59,000 cost of the park.

Cllr Richard Young, Cabinet Member for Communities, said:

“It’s fantastic to see the new skate park open in plenty of time for local skateboarders, BMX enthusiasts and scooter riders to enjoy over the summer months.                     

“The previous site was under-used and in a poor state, and ripe for reinvention. Pencoed Town Council has shown real enthusiasm for creating more facilities in Pencoed that will be welcomed by young people in the area, and I applaud the creative way in which they are achieving this through the Community Asset Transfer process.”

Pencoed Town Council has confirmed that the new skateboard and BMX Park will be regularly inspected to ensure that it is kept safe and tidy.

A 2.5m high acoustic barrier has been added around the skateboard park to keep any noise disruption to a minimum, and the town council is also looking at whether the installation of additional tennis facilities at an alternative site in future would be beneficial for Pencoed.