The re-opening of a town skate park which once attracted people from around Britain and beyond could be put back by six months, it has been claimed.
The skate park at Monkmoor Recreation Ground was due to be opened by the spring, after a three-phase refurbishment project by specialist company Rampmental.
But councillor Miles Kenny, who represents the ward, said no work had yet taken place and said council officials were now looking at taking out a five-year lease of equipment from the company with the option to buy at the end of it as part of a cost-cutting exercise.
As a result the opening of the skate park, which used to attract skateboarders from as far afield as America, could be put back until late autumn.
The skate park has been closed for nine months after it was found the ramps were dangerous and were ripping up wheels on skateboards. The £20,000 first phase of the project to improve four ramps was due to be completed by the beginning of May.
Cllr Kenny said: “Rather than actually spending £20,000 on repairing what they’ve got, the council is looking at leasing all the equipment for five years with an option to purchase it at the end of five years.
“The snag is it’s going to take a lot longer before the park comes into operation – about six months. But this will be much better value for money.”
Councillor Kenny added plans were also in the pipeline to charge a nominal fee of around £1 a day to users in order to keep out people who are not interested in using the site. He said if the site was brought back to life it would be an excellent facility for youngsters in the area.
Neil Willcox, head of leisure and outdoor recreation at Shropshire Council, said: “We are continuing to consider a number of options for skate park provision at Monkmoor based on both young people’s needs and cost. We hope to make a decision on the best way forward in the next few weeks.”
By Charlotte Hester