Skaters to show off their skills at official opening of new Clapham Common skatepark this Saturday

Clapham Common’s new skate park is to get its official opening this Saturday with a display by local skaters.

The layout of the park has been designed  with  local skaters themselves working with council parks officers and contractor Freestyle Skateparks .

The new facility gives young people in Lambeth access to some of the best skate facilities in London. It is made of durable concrete and conforms to all the latest safety standards.

Skaters formed a Facebook group so that they could share their ideas for the design and layout of the new park with the council. Local residents in the form of Clapham Common Management Advisory Committee played a key role in lobbying the council to replace the old skate park and develop the plans. The work was paid for with grants from The London Marathon Trust, the Safer Lambeth Partnership and Lambeth Council using contributions from developers through  s106 planning agreements.

Cllr Sally Prentice, Lambeth Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, said:

“This is a major investment in facilities for young people in Lambeth and a fantastic new skatepark that means young people in Lambeth have some of the best facilities in London.  A lot of people have worked very hard to make it happen, including the skateboarders themselves.”

“The council worked closely with skate park users and the Clapham Common Management Advisory Committee throughout to make sure the design and specification of the park are what users themselves want, and it’s great to see it being used by so many young people.

The park will be opened by Cllr Helen O’Malley, Chair of CCMAC, Kate Hoey MP for Vauxhall and Cllr Sally Prentice, Lambeth Council Cabinet Member for Culture.

After speeches at 11.30 skating demonstrations will start at approximately midday.