Skate Park Improvements

Bampton Parish Council has recently been developing a scheme to improve facilities at the Recreation Ground, using 106 money from the two new housing estates. After more than 18 months, we have finally been granted planning permission by WODC. As a result, the first part of the plan – an enlarged skate park – will start construction early this summer.

The Council has been working with our local skateboard expert, Mario Santos, to develop a new facility alongside the old one. This will double the available area and have many new features for skateboard enthusiasts. The work will be carried out by Bendcrete, a local company with a national reputation for building skateparks, and who constructed the original park for us several decades ago.

The enlarged skatepark is the first phase of major investment in the Recreation Ground.  We also have planning permission to replace the multisport pitch, resurface and light the tennis courts and build a Padel Court. The funding for this second phase is being finalised and work is planned to start in September this year.

Subject to obtaining further finance, the car park and surrounds to the pavilion will be improved, and storage for the users of the Rec. will also be addressed.

Finally, the development will include the land purchased by the Recreation Ground Trust in 2020 – across the track to the north of the Recreation Ground. This will be transformed into a leisure area. A Community Orchard has already been planted here by the Gardening Club with the help of the Scout Group, under the supervision of Jo Lewington and Emma Dedman.

More details of the plans for the Recreation Ground will be on show at the Annual Parish Meeting to be held at the Old School Community Centre on Wednesday 30th April. All the improvements and additions planned have evolved from the consultation carried out back in 2019.