OWP PRESS RELEASE
Skaters & Riders in Oxford need your Help!

After completion three years ago, the Oxford Wheels Project (OWP) are having
to close the popular skatepark in Meadow Lane at the end of September while
Oxford City Council considers a new application for permanent planning
permission.

A previous planning application sent by OWP was dealt with inappropriately
by the Council. It was refused without proper consultation and as a result,
OWP are now having to launch a campaign to review the application. This is
the second time that the Council has jeopardised the future of the
skate-park, having lost our grant application earlier this year.

OWP is a voluntary run, registered charity, established in 1996 with the aim
of providing free skateboarding facilities in Oxford after the council
removed existing facilities and failed to provide any alternatives. To date
OWP has raised 50,000 to develop and maintain the skatepark in Meadow Lane.


The skatepark has had a positive effect on the Community and Skateboarding
in Oxford by providing a free first class skateboarding facility to the community
being self-funded (no cost to the tax payer) encouraging young and new people into the sport
providing a venue for established and top skaters to visit reducing the number of crime incidents on the streets and at neighbouring Universities demonstrating the enthusiasm for the sport, by the support necessary to
get this far putting Oxford on the map in terms of attracting key Sponsorship to
skateboarding ensured the facility caters for inline skaters and BMXers as well as
skateboarders.


The Current Situation

The Oxford Wheels Project's lease with the Council expires at the end of
September. OWP was originally granted a three-year planning consent and
three year lease in order to provide a temporary facility whilst OWP looked
for a more permanent large-scale solution. With insufficient regular
funding and without the planning permission for the Meadow Lane site, OWP is
unable to continue running the site. OWP is unable to continue with low
level fundraising and the relatively high maintenance costs associated with
running such a facility.







Skatepark Progress

Last year Oxford City Council identified four sites throughout Oxford for
possible skate facilities. At the time we were led to believe approximately
100,000 was to be spent on these parks. The sites were at Holloway, Barton,
Botley and Greater Leys. Oxford City Council approached OWP for advice and
help with initial plans and costing, OWP agreed and provided suggested plans
for the sites. It must be noted however that OWP has always maintained the
belief that this allocated money would be far better spent by providing one
or two larger parks (An economical and quality issue). Of these sites only
Barton has been completed, a very small-scale facility which cost approx
10,000. The sites at Holloway and Botley were rejected after their 'public
consultation' showed the sites unfavourable to residents. The site at Fry's
Hill, Greater Leys is still in the planning stage, the area suggested by the
council being approximately 2/3 of the area of the OWP skatepark at Meadow
Lane.


Meadow Lane Site

At present OWP has built, insured, maintained and run the skatepark at
Meadow Lane, right down to locking & unlocking the facility daily and
picking up the rubbish. All work done by the OWP Executive Committee has
been entirely voluntary. Over the past four years we have raised over
50,000, all of which has gone towards providing a first class, free
facility for young people that has cost the taxpayer nothing.

This year Oxford City Council managed to lose OWP's grant application, by
the time another application was made all funding had already been allocated
and OWP was unable to receive a grant from the Council. More recently on 3rd
June OWP applied for permanent planning permission for the site at Meadow
Lane, as recommended by the City Council Planning officer, Andrew Lewis. The
application was exactly the same as the previous application made in 1997
except it omitted a particular section that stated the permission needed to
be renewed every three years. All other clauses such as the restricted hours
of use, noise limitations, ramp specification and timber construction
remained the same. We should have received notification back from planning
by 17th July. On the 21st July we telephoned the planning department to see
if our application had been successful. We were informed that it had gone
through with no alterations, however, correspondence from our solicitor on
the 1st of August informed us that due to a number of (non-documented)
objections from local residents, the application had been changed to a
temporary 3 year planning permission. This was without any consultation
with OWP and it is understood the decision did not go to a planning
committee but was decided by 'delegated powers'. This meant OWP had to
withdraw an application made for 150,000 funding from the European Single
Regeneration Budget (SRB), since it's criteria requires a permanent planning
consent and a long term lease.

By not receiving permanent planning consent we can not obtain a long term
lease from the council, without a long term lease we can not apply for large
scale funding from either the SRB European fund or the National Lottery and
most other grant making bodies.

OWP has always 'played by the book'; we have provided a fantastic, hugely
popular facility. Proof that these true 'Streetsports' require proper
provision. We have waited patiently for three years for something better,
either another site or permanent permission at Meadow Lane, neither of which
has happened. Youngsters find it hard to grasp that a public facility like
the Meadow Lane skatepark is
refused planning permission when the site is right alongside a scrap yard
about which nothing has been done for years!




The OWP Executive committee met on the 16th of August and voted against
renewal of the three year lease because, firstly it is a huge drain on OWP
to constantly struggle to obtain small scale funding and secondly to
constantly repair and maintain a wooden park which due to its popularity and
exposure to the elements requires constant maintenance. In the circumstances
OWP has resolved to take the following action:-

(i) Submit a further application for planning permission for the permanent
use of the site at Meadow Lane

(ii) At the same time seek to re-negotiate a long term lease with the City
Council for the site to enable OWP to apply for significant funding for the
partial concreting of the site and other improvements.

(iii) Since the outcome of its application for permanent use will not be
known until after the current lease expires, on 29th September, OWP will
close the site at that time pending the result of its application.

(iv) If its application is refused OWP will have to remove its ramps and
other apparatus until such time as another site becomes available.


OWP wishes to obtain permanent planning permission and a long term lease in
order to provide a more permanent, purpose built facility constructed of
concrete in order to reduce noise, maintenance and vandalism. A concrete
park would be considerably quieter and would save between 5,000 - 10,000
each year on maintenance alone. More importantly to us, we could build a
park that was truly representative of the needs and aspirations of local
'wheeled' enthusiasts. All we have been able to provide are wooden
transitioned ramps of varying height; we have not been able to provide
simulated street obstacles that are more suited to today's street style of
skating than traditional 'mini ramps'. Hence the skatepark at present,
although highly valuable and well used, still does not help relieve the
problems caused by skaters using historic buildings and steps to practice
their sport whilst riding on crowded city streets.

If you wish to find out more information or to help in any way please
contact your local councillor, alternatively contact:-




Jim Campbell, Mon Barbour
Chair of Leisure Services OR Chair of Oxford Wheels Project
Oxford 791851 (Daytime only)

Oxford Wheels Project
Registered Charity Number: 1063411

E.O.Y.C.
Union Street Education Complex
Union Street
Oxford OX4 1JP
ENGLAND
Tel. 01865 791 851
email: owp@ss20.com
http://www.owp.org.uk/