Chalfonts Activity Park takes next steps for free skatepark

Local dad and skateboarder Kenny Ross, 46, has been spearheading the Chalfonts Activity Park campaign since 2020 as the chairman together with 14 other residents to get a free activity park for all ages and abilities.

While the site the group has identified for the new skatepark behind Chalfont St Peter Community Centre has a skating history dating back 30 years, it’s in desperate need of a revamp.  

Mr Ross, who works as an airline pilot, said: “Chalfont’s a village by name, but over 15,000 people live here, so it’s certainly big enough to have its own skatepark and other sports pitches.

The location of the skatepark (Image: Maverick Industries)

“It’s not just for kids, I’m in my late 40s and I’m a skater, and I’ve got lots of mates who are way older than that, but it’s that all the facilities are private ones and there’s nothing free to use, there’s nothing municipal.

“So the whole point of this is that once it’s built anyone can use it, any ability or age, and it will be pretty low maintenance.

“Harrow skatepark was built in 1978 and it’s still in use today.

“If they’re well made, they’ll last a long time.

"If you think of use per person per year or week, it’s pretty cheap really if you compare to a football pitch or a gym that needs a lot of maintenance.”

So far the Chalfonts Activity Park Project has attracted support from the community through an online survey filled in by around 10 percent of residents, from Buckinghamshire Council, local councillors and the Chamber of Commerce.

At present the focus is on local fundraising for the project with estimated cost of £280,000, including fundraiser through Bucks Lottery while going through the planning process.

Mr Ross said: “The site we chose is at the centre of the village, so we’re hoping it will attract more families to the village businesses.”

High street businesses everywhere were “having a hard time at the moment,” and visitors to the skatepark for hours “are going to want to have a coffee and stuff”, meaning increased footfall in the village, he said.

Around 1,500 survey responses revealed a demand for a local skatepark.

Currently parents, including Mr Ross, have to drive to Amersham, Coxley Green or even London to skate.

As a father of a son, who skates, and daughter, who rollerblades, he noticed when children reach nine of ten “they lose interest in playparks” and beyond that age “there’s nothing to do.”

He said: “About 30 years ago there used to be a wooden ramp, and there was a bit of a BMX scene in here.

“Then in late 90s that metal thing was installed.

“It wasn’t built by a skatepark company but a playpark company, and it’s pretty much unusable.

“So it just needs to be replaced with a proper skatepark. So we’re not changing the use of the area, it just needs updating.”