Aviemore skateboard and wheels park is still on the roll
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The hard work is continuing behind the scenes to create a community park for Aviemore which could be a venue for a host of items on the village’s wish list.
The site off Dalfaber Drive currently owned by Highland Council could eventually boast a skate and wheels park, small hall and community cafe, bouldering park and a store if the project is realised.
Aviemore and Glenmore Community Trust first went public with their plans last Easter and said progress continues to be made on the project expected to cost in the region of £1.2m.
AGCT director Mike Gale said: “We have put in an Expression of Interest for the Dalfaber land to turn it into a community park.
“The community has wanted a skate park for more than 20 years but for some reason it has not happened.
“It has been a hard struggle so the trust has taken this on board and it has developed into something more.
“We carried out a survey last Easter and the top priority was a skate park or wheels park and the next was a bouldering park which fits in with Aviemore ‘s adventure culture.”
Being the first priority a ‘wheels group’ will be formed to manage what the community needs are – a traditional park or pump track or both – and this group will form the management team for the future.
Fencing and a lockable gate will be required as well as lighting for early evening skating and security. One potential model that could be followed for the climbing area is the Cuningar Boulder Park between Dalmarnock and Rutherglen.
Also planned are:
• A small hall. AGCT’s latest report states: “Aviemore needs a community hall but the Dalfaber land has not enough space but there is easily enough space for a small hall that can accommodate meetings for the Scouts, Guides and Men’s Shed etc.
• A community cafe which would ‘be a great way of bringing all ages together’.
• Storage and offices. The report notes: “Community groups in Aviemore such as Aviemore Community Enterprise, Aviemore Community Council and AGCT have collected a lot of community equipment and they are spread about local businesses.
“It’s important we get adequate space to be able to store, fix and maintain such equipment like the main street winter lights.”
The community bodies struggle with office space and meeting rooms and for our community to keep growing we need the space to work. The Highland Council asset transfer requires two major reports – one showing community support and this has already been achieved through last year’s survey.
The other is a feasibility study still to be produced. A £10,000 funding bid was approved on Tuesday from Highland Council’s ward place based fund to assist with architect’s plans and visuals for this.
Mr Gale said: “If we are successful in acquiring the land then we will produce detailed drawings and designs of the park including a phased approach to the different elements of the park.
“Funding will be a high priority once we have agreement for the asset transfer of the land.”
AGCT hopes this could be around September time if all goes to plan. “The diggers are ready to go,” Mr Gale said, “We just need the land.”
There were 407 responses to the survey last Spring with 98.7 per cent of those taking the survey backing the land off Dalfaber Drive to be used for community benefit.
The land next to the Cadet Hall is entrusted to Highland Council for community use. In the past, several proposals have been floated, including a skate park, however, none have managed to come to fruition.
The trust has said it is keen to listen and work with residents in the Burnside area to make sure any development would not affect their quality of life.
The most popular proposal in the poll was the skate park – the project’s focus – with 284 respondents in favour.
This was followed by an outdoor bouldering area and physical training area with 218 votes.
The third most popular area was a multi-use building with 183 votes followed by a multi-use flat pitch so as for a basketball area with 162 votes.
Other ideas which came forward included a men’s shed, picnic area, water feature, Scouts and Guides hut, outdoor gym, community garden, mini golf and beach volleyball area.
There were also calls for the site to be left as wildlife habitat, and some concerns were expressed about possible noise issues for local residents and road safety.
