Huge skate park plan drawn up for former Sheffield factory site
Plans have been drawn up for a former Sheffield factory to be redeveloped into a modern skate park.
The former Thessco site, near Attercliffe Road, would be converted into a community sports centre for indoor and outdoor sport, complete with a cafe, and educational spaces, under plans which have been filed with Sheffield Council.
It would be run by OnBoard Skate Park, which has previously run a venue at Little London Road and is looking to create something much bigger.
OnBoard added in a statement made to the council as part of the planning application, that they urgently need a new site because their current premises on Little London Road was due to be redeveloped for housing.
The current site, which is a former commercial building, is a social enterprise that provides a community sports facility with an alternative education programme for its pupils that combines skateboarding and BMX riding with maths, English and other subjects like art, engineering and woodwork.
Some 80 per cent of its funding comes from contracts with Sheffield Council and grants, with the rest from people paying to use the site, its café and the bike repair service that it runs.
Now it also wants to get bigger.
The statement added: “The applicant carried out a review of the most well-known larger skateparks in England to understand their size, how they operate and main success factors.
“One of the key findings was that all of the most successful skateparks were at least 30-40,000 sq. ft in extent. This was seen as a critical size threshold for maximum benefit for Sheffield and local communities, while ensuring on-going financially viability.”
They said: “The building is of such a scale that it can safely accommodate the heights required by skateboarders and BMX rider negotiating ramps and jumps. Save for provision for outdoor sport, access and vehicle parking all of the required accommodation will be contained wholly within the confines of the former factory building.”
Plans of the site show several other facilities within the factory building as part of OnBoard’s plans.
As well as ramps for skaters, they also appear to show a windy ‘pump’ track, as well as space for basketball, table tennis, badminton and an arts space.
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