EXTENSION

EXTENSION PROPOSALS IN FULL

ELECTION OF NEW SITE REPRESENTATIVES

ON 30TH OCTOBER 2003 SITE USERS AND SITE REPRESENTATIVES WERE INVITED TO ATTEND A MEETING TO CONSIDER THE REVISED PLANS FOR THE EXTENSION TO HORSHAM SKATE PARK.

AS ONLY THREE OF THE EXISTING SITE REPRESENTATIVES ATTENDED AND SEVERAL ARE NO LONGER BELIVED TO BE USING THE SITE ON A REGULAR BASIS A DECISION WAS TAKEN TO ELECT NEW 'SITE REPS'. THESE ARE

SKATE BOARDERS
GRAHAM EBELEWICZ
PHIL MARTIN
STEVEN TAYLOR

BMXERS
ED ROBERTS
HUGH CHAPMAN
JAMES BOUD
TOBY GOODYEAR
STEHEN BOUD

IN LINE SKATERS
MARTIN ROBERTSON
FREDDY STROTTEN
PETER SHORT

THE NEW 'REPS' WILL BE ISSUED WITH THE KEYS TO THE MAINTENANCE TRUNK WHEN THE PADLOCK IS CHANGED IN A FEW WEEKS TIME.

ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE SKATE PARK SHOULD BE REPORTED THROUGH THESE 'REPS' OR BY CONTACTING TREVOR BEADLE, LEISURE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, HORSHAM DISTRICT COUNCIL, ON 01403 215493.
EXTENSION OF SKATE PARK

AS A RESULT OF THE MEETING A NUMBER OF THE 'REPS' WERE INVITED TO WORK WITH THE COUNCIL TO DEVELOP THE PLAN FOR THE EXTENSION TO THE SKATE PARK.

'THE BRIEF'

THE GROUP WERE INSTRUCTED THAT ANY EXTENSION MUST CATER FOR YOUNGER AND NOVICE USERS AND MUST DUPLICATE SOME OF THE STREET FEATURES THAT WERE STILL BEING SKATED IN AND AROUND THE TOWN CENTRE, AS WELL AS AT PLACES IN HORSHAM PARK, SUCH AS THE STEPS OUTSIDE 'PAVILIONS IN THE PARK' AND THE BANDSTAND. OTHER ISSUES TO CONSIDER INCLUDED THE VISUAL IMPACT WITHIN THE PARK AND THE ADDITIONAL NOISE GENERATED.

THE COUNCIL HAD £25,000 AVAILABLE TO BUILD THE EXTENSION. AS THIS WOULD NOT COVER AN EXTENSIVE SCHEME WITH ALL THE FEATURES THAT SKATERS WOULD LIKE IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT WORK WAS PHASED. INITIALLY THE EXTENSION WOULD COMPRISE A LARGE AREA OF SURFACING WITH COMPARITIVELY FEW FEATURES, WHICH COULD BE ADDED TO AS AND WHEN FUNDS BECOME AVAILABLE.

'THE PLANNING GROUP RESPONSE'

ALTHOUGH THE PLANNING GROUP'S MAIN PRIORITY WAS STILL TO GET THE EXISTING SKATE PARK ROOFED THEY WANTED TO WORK WITH THE COUNCIL SO THAT THE NOVICE AREA WOULD STILL HAVE APPEAL AND VALUE TO EXISTING USERS.

THE PROPOSAL

UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO PLANNING AND FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS THERE ARE STILL NO PLANS TO COVER EITHER THE EXISTING SKATE PARK, OR THE EXTENSION, WITH A ROOF. WORKING TO THE CONSTRAINTS IDENTIFIED, THE GROUP HAVE THEREFORE PRODUCED THE PROPOSAL BELOW.

THE 'REPS' HAVE ASKED FOR THE EXTENSION TO BE PREDOMINANTLY CONCRETE BUT AS THE COSTS FOR CONCRETE ARE HIGHER (AND IT WOULD ALSO NEED TO BE DYED TO MINIMISE IMPACT THE PARK) IT IS LIKELY TO BE TARMAC WITH SOME OF THE FEATURES IN CONCRETE AND OTHERS IN WOOD.

THE FULL COST OF THE EXTENSION HAS BEEN ESTIMATED AT £60,000!

Click here to see drawing

WHERE TO NEXT?

FIRSTLY, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS?
YOU HAVE UNTIL CHRISTMAS TO RESPOND VIA 01403 215493.

YOU SHOULD ALSO NOTE THAT THERE ARE PLANS TO

1) REDUCE THE HEIGHT ON THE BARRIER ON THE EXISTING MICRO RAMP TO 45CM
2) CONVERT THE 'DROP IN FLATBANK' ON THE 'HALF PIPE COMBO' TO A 'QUARTER WITH SUB BOX'
3) FIT NEW GRILLS TO THE DRAINS!

IF NO COMMENTS ARE RECEIVED BY CHRISTMAS AND THE WORK IS CLEARED BY HEALTH AND SAFETY PROFESSIONALS THIS WORK WILL BE UNDERTAKEN IN THE NEW YEAR

IN THE LONGER TERM THERE ARE PLANS TO REMOVE THE MICRO RAMP TO THE NEW AREA AND REPLACE THIS WITH A MORE CHALLENGING FEATURE. YOU WILL SEE THAT A 'FOOTPRINT' HAS BEEN DRAWN ON THE EXTENSION PROPOSAL TO THIS EFFECT.

TIMESCALE

AFTER THE CONSULTATION PERIOD HAS EXPIRED THE COUNCIL WILL CONSULT WITH R.O.S.P.A., ITS INSURERS AND ITS PLANNERS OVER THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND PLANNING ISSUES TO ENSURE THAT THE PROPOSAL IS ACCEPTABLE.

ONCE ALL PARTIES ARE HAPPY WITH THE SCHEME IT WILL BE COSTED IN DETAIL AND COMPANIES WILL BE APPROACHED TO UNDERTAKE THE WORK. SITE 'REPS' AND USERS WILL BE KEPT INFORMED.

NO WORK IS LIKELY TO OCCUR BEFORE APRIL AS THE GROUND WILL BE TOO SOFT.
PROJECT COSTS AND PHASED BUILD IMPLICATIONS

IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE COST OF THE PROPOSAL WILL MORE THAN EXCEED THE BUDGET AVAILABLE AND THAT THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE TO INVESTIGATE WAYS OF RAISING MONEY WITH THE HORSHAM STREET SPORTS ASSOCIATION AND SITE USERS TO FULLY BRING THE PLANS TO FRUITION. £35,000 IS A LOT TO RAISE BUT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE, PARTICULARLY AS THE PARK HAS A GOOD REPUTATION AND PULLS USERS FROM ACROSS THE DISTRICT AND BEYOND.

TO GET THINGS MOVING IT IS PROPOSED TO DIVDE THE WORK INTO 4 PHASES.

PHASE 1 (SPRING 2004) THE CREATION OF THE BASIC EXTENSION BUT WILL NOT INCLUDE ANY EQUIPMENT ON THE LOWER TIER (THE LEVEL OF THE EXISTING PARK)

PHASE 2 (SPRING 2005 SUBJECT TO FUNDING) THE ADDITION OF ALL THE FEATURES PROPOSED FOR THE LOWER TIER EXCEPT THE MICRO RAMP

PHASE 3 WILL SEE THE REMOVAL OF THE MICRO RAMP FROM THE EXISTING PARK TO THE EXTENSION AND A NEW FEATURE TO REPLACE THE MICRO.

PHASE 4 WILL SEE THE EXTENSION OF FLOODLIGHTING TO THE NEW AREA.

PLEASE NOTE: THE £60,000 ESTIMATED COST OF THE EXTENSION DOES NOT INCLUDE PHASES 3 AND 4. THESE HAVE BEEN ESTIMATED AT A FURTHER £20,000.

THE COUNCIL WILL WORK WITH THE 'SITE REPS' TO KEEP USERS INFORMED OF PROGRESS AND EVERY EFFORT WILL BE MADE TO UNDERTAKE MORE THAN ONE PHASE OF WORK AT A TIME SHOULD RESOURCES BE IDENTIFIED.