UPDATED: New March skate park for West End is just months away after final funding pledge
Exciting plans for a new and improved skate park in March can now go ahead after the final funding needed to start work was secured.
Fenland District Council had already committed £90,000 towards a new skate park in West End Park, but thanks to a £30,000 grant from the Amey Community Fund the project can now become a reality.
The park's current metal frame structure which is over 15 years old, will be replaced with a bigger, free-form concrete construction, which has been specifically designed to meet the requirements of users and the local community.
The concrete structure will also be harder wearing, requiring fewer repairs than alternative modular or metal ramp structures, and is considered the best surface for skate-boarders, BMX and scooter riders.
Work on the state-of-the-art facility will begin in early September so youngsters can continue to use the existing skate park over the summer holidays, and is expected to be finished by late October to early November.
Councillor Peter Murphy, the council's portfolio holder for the environment, said: " It's great to see the council and local community working together to get a new and improved skate park for March.
"A stakeholder group with March Town Council and Young People March got the project moving, and lots of residents took part in our community consultation to help shape what the new skate park should look like.
"This upgrade to a well-used and valued facility demonstrates the council's commitment to providing high quality, safe equipment for our young people to enjoy and opportunities for them to get and stay active. It's also part of a rolling programme of planned improvements to play areas across the whole of Fenland."
Councillor Jan French, deputy leader of Fenland and district and town councillor for March West, added: "I'm delighted that this project is coming to fruition. The current skate park is a great asset to March, but the new and improved facility will ensure it benefits future generations of young people for many years to come."