Work starts on new Â£120K skatepark

Councillors and project partners as work begins. Picture by@ Law Photography

The wheels for the new skate park, off Main Street in South Hiendley, were put into motion last week, when developers moved on site.

And people could be taking to its ramps and rails early in the new year.

Hemsworth councillor Sandra Pickin said the idea for the park had “come very much from the youngsters”.

She said: “Work has just started on site. There’s been a long time waiting for this.

“South Hiendley hasn’t got a lot for youngsters to do and over the years local school children have told us that a skate park was one of the things that they wanted.

“It’s for all age groups and it brings something to the area that we haven’t got, in a place where it is desperately needed.

“We hope people from across the South East will come down to use and enjoy it.”

Plans for the skate park were first drawn up last year, after Wakefield Council announced a £1.2m regeneration scheme for the South East of the district.

Coun Pickin said: “A pot of money was given to each ward in the South East - South Elmsall and South Kirkby, Hemsworth and South Hiendley, and Ackworth and Upton.

“The idea was to identify much-needed projects, that would make a difference to each area. A skate park is something that had been considered for quite a few years in South Hiendley but we needed funding and as soon as this money came along last year, it was a project we identified straight away.”

The skate park is being supported by South Hiendley Parish Council and the South Hiendley Village Improvement Group, as well as Coun Pickin and fellow Hemsworth councillors Pauline Kitching and Glyn Lloyd. The planning and construction work is being carried out by Groundwork, architect Nick Green and Sycamore Construction.

Coun Pickin said: “We hope it will complement the play area that’s there for the little ones near the Sun Inn, with this being for youths to use.

“Scrubland is now being cleared to make way for it.

“It’s just nice to get started after so long. We’re hoping to be able to crack on with it, get the equipment in and get it finished in the new year.”