New skatepark on a roll after 35-year campaign

Skateboard enthusiast Christian Lee said the new park was well designed

Users of a new coastal skatepark have praised its design, and said it can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Campaigners in Southwold, Suffolk, raised £160,000 to remove old wooden ramps at Klondyke Skatepark and replace them with a modern design made from concrete.

The opening of the park this summer has realised a 35-year dream for Carl Hurr, who spearheaded the project.

He was told off by officials while skateboarding around the town as a teenager but he never gave up on the hope of creating a fully reinforced concrete skatepark.

The team behind the skatepark believe it will be a family-friendly facility

Christian Lee, 26, who regularly visits the skatepark, said: "I like the design because it's got a nice flow to it and I think there's something here for everyone.

"It's a big improvement on the wooden ramps which were here, and people are already coming from a long way away to try it out."

Former youth worker Kevin Booth, who helped to set up skateparks in Lowestoft, was also impressed by the new design.

"It's great to see a facility suitable for both beginners and more experienced skateboarders, as well as for people using scooters and BMX bikes," he said.

"In the early 1980s it really was a battle to get any funding or support for these sorts of projects so it's great to see this up and running, and I think it will be used by a lot of people."

Plans to transform the skatepark were given the go-ahead by East Suffolk Council last year

Last year, the project received £50,000 from the Community Infrastructure Levy, which East Suffolk Council charges developers when new housing is built.

The park has replaced the wooden ramps which were erected opposite the pier in 2006.

The official opening of the new skatepark will be on 15 August.