Recently, Southampton City Council representative Jeremy Moulton has called for an outline of fines for skateboarders who refuse to stop skating on the "Cultural Quarter" of Southampton Guildhall. He said that the skaters "did not create the right image for the area" and described the square as "the world’s most expensive skatepark"
To begin with, fining people for doing an active, engaging and social sport in a public place where cars, cyclists and dogs are also present is unfair and singles out young skaters. Locals see this as an unfair bout on a stereotype that no skater in Southampton conforms to and are taking the plans for an introduction of fines as a personal, petty and spiteful attack.
Although there is a skatepark in Southampton's city centre, it is deemed dangerous, unclean, un-ridable and in desperate need of an update. Guildhall Square is a huge, flat area that is ideal for skaters and much safer to ride than the nearest skatepark- Hoglands.
However, for the many locals I have spoken to about the issue of fines for skating, the solution is very simple: Up-date Hoglands Skatepark.
For years local skaters and BMX-ers have been asking for the metal park to be re-built. It is considered "un-skateable" due to how grimy and slippery the metal is- especially when wet- which can be lethal for everyone who uses the park, including young children who play on the ramps with their bikes and skateboards. The park is never re-gripped regularly enough for the ramps to be safe, the metal is warping creating an unstable surface for riding and the welding has blown in many places.
Local skaters have stated "everything [in the park] is pretty huge which isn’t great when you’re trying to skate." meaning the park is too steep and tall to safely and enjoyably ride. There is a high risk of injury and many people have been hurt due to the steepness and slipperiness of the metal ramps.
WE believe if Hoglands were to be re-built and improved, Guildhall would be skater free and Hoglands would become an extremely popular hot-spot for Southampton’s skaters and BMX-ers.
