3:33pm Wednesday 27th August 2008
By Lucy Clapham
WORK has finally begun on High Wycombe's eagerly awaited skatepark with hopes it will be open to riders by November.
Wycombe District Council (WDC) announced today that construction work to the new park under the railway viaduct in Archway has started.
Once finished the park will feature rails for skaters and BMX-ers to grind on, driveways for them to ride up and over and other equipment for them to carry out high flying tricks.
Plans for the park were originally thought up in 2004 after the land behind the current Sainsbury's store was picked as a location to build it on.
Earlier proposals to put it on the Rye were met with outcry from The High Wycombe Society, which campaigns to protect the town's green space.
It was hoped to be built by June 2008 - three months behind the original opening date - but the plans were held up due to an extra stage of consultation and tendering and contractural problems.
It is now set to open at the end of November.
The skatepark's design was drawn up Freestyle Skateparks Ltd following consultations with Wycombe's skateboarders and BMX-ers and has been funded by Sainsbury's, Network Rail and WDC.
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