Work to begin on £195k concrete bowl skate park in Douglas

An artist's impression of how the new skate park could look

Work on a new state-of-the-art £195,000 skate park in Douglas could begin in May, the town's council has announced.

Head of parks David Hewes said the facility would replace the existing set of dilapidated ramps at Noble's Park with a modern concrete bowl system.

He said it would be the "best on the island" and would also be suitable for scooters and BMX bikes.

Isle of Man Skateboarding (ISB) founder Kristian Edwards said it would take skating "to the next level".

With the addition of a water play area, the council has now committed to invest £383,000 in the park this year.

The existing skate park at Noble's Park has fallen into disrepair

Skateboarding is a popular pastime on the island

New barbeque areas, seating, lighting and a shelter, will also be added.

The island's first concrete bowl for skaters and bikers was officially opened in Braddan in 2016.

Mr Edwards, who will help design the new facility, said the island's burgeoning skating scene meant the project "had to happen".

"With a contemporary concrete design the new park will last much longer and it will be there for generations of kids to use," he said.

Mr Edwards added: "We hope to see other areas of the Isle of Man get inspired by this project and we will support it from start to finish."