Popular skateboard park set to reopen after fears over future

Levi Edwards was worried the skatepark may not reopen

Mum Danielle Edwards expressed concern after Howe Bridge Leisure Centre in Atherton did not reopen its facilities following the easing of lockdown.

Mrs Edwards says her nine-year-old son Levi is upset about the situation and she has received nothing but excuses when trying to get to the bottom of the situation.

However the council say the Skate Park and Extreme Zone at Howe Bridge is currently undergoing repairs and will soon reopen to the public.

Mrs Edwards said: “Levi is really upset because he can’t ride as much and can’t do it locally. There was a real family atmosphere at Howe Bridge and everyone would ride together.

“It’s just so frustrating that they’re not opening it. This is the only park a lot of kids can get to. It was a very good productive environment.”

Mrs Edwards, a teacher, points to the success of Olympic gold medalists Charlotte Worthington and Sky Brown, and believes more needs to be in place to help the next generation achieve the same success.

She said: “You can only do so much on the street. Despite all the money Wigan puts into other things, they never build anything for the kids. We’re not asking for anything extra, we just want them to bring back something that was already there.”

A spokesperson for Wigan Council said: “Due to the impact Covid-19 and the Track and Trace system has had on our staff we, unfortunately, haven’t been able to open the Skate Park and Extreme Zone at Howe Bridge as soon as we would have liked to.

“However, we can now confirm that the equipment in Adventure Zone is undergoing servicing and repairs and our staff are receiving all the necessary safety training to open the Extreme Zone in the coming months.

“We know how valued the Extreme zone facilities at Howe Bridge are to many and we are looking forward to welcoming visitors again.”

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