New Laxey skate park set to open next spring, says local authority

A 2017 consultation showed strong support for a new skate park in Laxey

A new skate park in a village in the east of the Isle of Man is set to open in spring next year.

The facility in Laxey will be built next to existing basketball and tennis courts on Glen Road, which was hit by severe flooding in 2019.

Work on the park will begin once flood defence work in the area is completed.

But, Garff commissioner Melanie Christian said the equipment would be able to cope with flooding should there be a repeat of the conditions.

The structures, including rails and a 1.1m (3.6ft) ramp known as a halfpipe, are set to be made out of galvanised steel, she added.

Ms Christian told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the material meant the equipment, which would also be made out of recycled materials using green energy, would not be "destroyed" by further floods.

The skate park will be built near to existing tennis and basketball courts

A 2017 consultation suggested an "overwhelming" need for a skate park after ramps in a previous park had become "dated and old", Ms Christian said.

After delays due to the flooding and the coronavirus pandemic, the commissioners would now be able to progress the proposal, after receiving planning permission in August, she added.