Skaters and BMXers were celebrating today after winning their campaign to build Lincolns first centre for "urban sports".
A former grain warehouse in Beevor Street, off tritton road, is to be turned into a indoor skatepark, BMX track and a drop-in centre.
Skaters and BMXers across the county - who have raised more than £70, 000 to fund the project - are delighted that their two year campaign for the centre has been a success.
But today businesses in the Beevor Street area said that the decision to allow the indoor skatepark and centre for urban sports was wrong to go ahead.
Skateboarder Ben Sutton (28), from Newport, in the north of the city, says that the skatepark would be an asset to Lincoln. "At the moment there is knowhere for skaters to go" he said. "The indoor centre will be a great facility. At the moment when it rains we can't skate because it is too wet. I skate near the castle and many businesses have been very good letting us go there. This facility will provide young people around here with something to do in the evenings".
In 2001 the Lincoln Skatepark Steering Commitee was established to draw up plans to transform the 75, 000 square foot building.
The project has been led by Lincoln Community Development Partnership and Youth Matters. Rosemary Robinson, skatepark project co-ordinator for the Lincoln Community Development Project, said "We are very pleased that the skaepark has been given planning permission - it is the culmination of two years of hard work. There is still a long way to go and we hope to be open by the end of the year. We hope that eventually the building will have the potential to be used for other sports and will be a centre that attracts people from all over the country".
Dave Pierce, managing director of Anglo Machine Engineering, opposed the plans. He said "I am very disappointed. This is an industrial area and our main concern is the safety of young people. I do not think that this area is ideal for a leisure building like this. It is primilary industrial and we shouldn't encourage young people to come to this area. We also have a problem with vandalism and we are concerned that this skatepark could result in an increase in vandalism".
The skatepark was given planning permission by Lincoln City Council's development control committee last night. At the meeting members were shown a petition of 1,500 people who supported the proposal.
19th September 2003 - Outdoor Skatepark Officially Open
Today the outdoor skatepark on Witham Fields, Fen Lane in North Hykeham has been officially opened. It includes: 5-6ft Mini Ramp, 5ft Jump Box, 5ft Spine/Volcano, Fun Box with Wallride extention, 3 quarter pipes and 2 Flat Banks. To find out some more information click here.
15th October 2003 - Samantha may not know how to skate... but now she's a half-pipe herione
A teenager who campaigned for a skatepark even though she can't skate has been rewarded for her dedication.
Samantha Rae (17), of Middle Street, North Hykeham, faced strong opposition when she spoke out in favour of a skatepark for the town at public meetings.
Now she has been praised for her "respectful and dignified behaviour" and is to be presented with North Hykeham Parochial Church Council's first ever Young Person's Award.
Samantha said she spoke out in support of the skatepark because she realised how much it would benefit local skaters and BMXers.
"I saw how important it was to everybody," she said. "I want to be a solicitor when I'm older so this was good practise and the skatepark was something I was interested in."
The skatepark, in Witham Fields, off Fen Lane, cost £50,000 to build and was officially opened on September 19th after two years of campaigning by teenagers in the town.
Samantha said she hoped everyone would reap the benefits of the new skatepark, where the features include: 5-6ft Mini Ramp, 5ft Jump Box, 5ft Spine/Volcano, Fun Box with Wallride Extention, 3 quarter pipes and 2 flat banks.
"It took a lot of work to get there," she said. "We had to find a place to locate the park and then tackle the opposition and reassure them that the skatepark was going to be really good. Once we had got over that hurdle we had to raise the funds and find ways of getting people to donate money. But it was all worth it to go down there and see everybody, how many people were using it and the looks on their faces."
Church youth worker Jill Wilson said Samantha and her friends had been "heckled" and "criticised" at meetings by residents opposed to the skatepark but she never lost her composure. "Samantha came up against a lot of opposition from older residents," Mrs Wilson said.
"She was heckled in meetings but she conducted herself with dignity. Sam was invariably good-natured and self-disciplined and replied to what were often hostile questions with respect. She stayed with the project when others were beginning to fall by the wayside and is a young woman who could teach some people a great deal about community spirit."
Samantha is the first person to win the council's Young Person's Award. The award recognises the contribution made by young people who have worked hard to benefit others. "The winner doesn't have to be a church-goer, just someone who has benefited others, Young people get very little recognition for their good work."
Samantha will be presented with her award by the Bishop of Grantham on 2nd November, at All Saints' Church.