NELC reveals area of Pier Gardens earmarked for a "brilliant" and "unbelievable" skatepark

                                                  

All smiles from Cllr Dawkins and skateboarders after inspecting  the designs

THE skatepark proposed for Pier Gardens will be built at the northern end  - close to Sea Road and where the new fast food eaterie is being built.

This location has been  confirmed by North East Lincolnshire Council whose officials have been in talks with both local skateboarders and a specialist design company,  Betongpark Ltd.

Says Betongpark's Stuart Maclure: "We’ve really enjoyed creating this for the people of Cleethorpes.

"The best bit has been working with the skate community to understand what they wanted and designing something that fits with those aspirations."

Local skateboarder Harry Williamson says he has been impressed by the designs.

"This means everything to us," he enthuses. "The whole thing will just be unbelievable."

With the railway station not far away, it is thought that some some skateboarders will come from afar.

After arriving by train, they will be able to hop aboard their skateboards and weave past the trippers coming in and out of the amusement arcades.

And when they  get hungry, they will be able to look into to the new eaterie next door for a burger or two and fries.

Equally upbeat is NELC's cabinet member for tourism and leisure, Cllr Hayden Dawkins who insists: "This is a brilliant idea - it will be yet another attraction to Cleethorpes for a new community. 

"We want to make sure that Pier Gardens are well used once they’ve been re-modelled, and this is a great way of making that happen".

It is not known how far the proposed skatepark will extend into Pier Gardens, nor the extent, if any,  to which existing lawns and shrubs will be lost.

Also unclear is whether there will be any encroachment into the designated Wildlife Garden, all-year home to many songbirds. 

The council says the  project, which has not yet been costed,  will now be taken forward to full design stage.

                                       

It is not yet known how much, if any, of the Wildlife Garden, will be forfeited to make way for the proposed skatepark