Client: North Tyneside Council
Location: Sunderland
Contract Value: £0.33 million
Contract Period: March 2008 until July 2008
This £0.33 million design & build project in Whitley Bay was to create a skate park within an existing “bowl” in the landscape. It was designed in consultation with skateboarders, BMX users and roller bladers. The area of approximately 1000m2 incorporates 2 bowls, ramps, driveways, and walls.
Works included grouting of coal seams as part of the ground remediation works prior to installation of drainage, facing decorative sandstone retaining walls & concrete sprayed skate park walls.
The project was highly commended in the Community Benefit category of the RICS North East Renaissance Awards due to the layout of the park and limited access, standard concrete wagons could not access the areas safely; therefore a concrete pump was used, which allowed all the concrete to be installed from 1 location.
To blend the skate park into its natural surroundings the retaining wall was hidden from view by a facing of decorative sandstone walling and coping stone. This was then painted with a clear anti-graffiti paint to help assist the Local Council with maintaining the wall and ensuring it remained graffiti free and in its original form.
Coping rail for the edges of the bowls and ramps were manufactured off-site to specific lengths and radiuses before being delivered to site and assembled.
An existing old brass compass point had to be relocated as its original position was within the area of the new skate park.
On completion of the works a presentation and site visit was arranged for a local school after a request from the Head Teacher that the children had shown an interest in the construction of the skate park in class.
