Skate/bike park should be Tour de France legacy

A Welshpool councillor has called for a new skate and bike park to be the lasting legacy from the town hosting the Tour de France next year.

Welshpool will welcome the world’s biggest spectator event on July 4, 2027, when it launches day three from the town centre.

The Town Council is keen to maximise the benefits from hosting the event, and is planning on setting up a working committee that would incorporate key members of the wider community.

But during discussions at last week’s Full Council meeting, Cllr Jackson Quarell (pictured) put another burning issue back in the spotlight by saying that this could be the chance to finally replace the town’s now-forgotten skatepark with a bigger and better facility.

“Has any thought been done on the legacy side of things?” asked Cllr Quarrell.

“When we (London) had the Olympic Games, the facilities afterwards were used as a legacy. I know that a lot of people are interested in a skate park, and I heard from a lot of the young people that what they would really like a skate and bike park.”

The Mayor, Cllr Phil Owen who is leading on the initial Tour de France discussions with Powys County Council, said: “Legacy issues will certainly be a consideration but quite what we expect it to be we don’t know yet, but that is something we will be considering.”

The loss of the skate park has been a depressing issue for the town, and despite constant calls for a replacement, the topic seems to have fallen off the radar with funding required elsewhere.

The original skate park closed nearly six years ago due to health and safety concerns and for a couple of years it was seen as a priority to replace. However, with the Town Council facing financial challenges elsewhere, the issue appears to have been mothballed.