Crouch End’s Liberal Democrat councillors are celebrating a campaigning success as Haringey Council has finally agreed to investigate putting a skateboard park in the car park of Hornsey Town Hall. The news came in an email to Crouch End councillors this week.

The plans are to use part of the Town Hall car park as a ‘permanent’ location for the borough’s mobile skate park. A section of the car park could be levelled out, a wall built, fencing erected and a separate entrance for skaters created.

Lib Dem councillor Ron Aitken suggested the Town Hall car park as a suitable site two months ago. He and fellow Crouch End councillors Dave Winskill and Lyn Weber have been fighting to convince the Council ever since. After many site meetings with officers to make his case, Haringey Council has finally agreed to give the plans the green light.

There was controversy earlier this year as it emerged that Labour councillors had wasted £25,000 pursuing plans to site the facilities in Priory Park, despite being told categorically by Thames Water that the site was not suitable.

Crouch End Councillor Ron Aitken comments:

“I am absolutely delighted to finally get the green light from the Council on the development of this project. The Council has been promising a permanent skate park for two years and we were beginning to think it might never come to pass.

“Young people skateboarding are often criticised, but this is very unfair when there is nowhere provided for them to skate. Scarce provision is made for young people in and around Crouch End, and this is a step in the right direction. I am very pleased that the pressure we have been putting on the Council has paid off at last.”