A SKATEPARK built by community groups in Edinburgh has had its opening delayed after a City of Edinburgh Council inspection uncovered safety concerns.
The Dock at Coalie Park – a skatepark by the Water of Leith that was initially slated to be opened in August – was being built by Edinburgh Wheels in collaboration with the Water of Leith Conservation Trust and with oversight from the City of Edinburgh Council.
Teams of volunteers and contractors have been working for months to transform a patch of underutilised ground next to Leith’s famous waterway into a skatepark as part of the wider Coalie Park regeneration project.
Just prior to the opening of the skatepark, however, a safety inspection by Edinburgh Council took place, and it was deemed that railings would be required on the park’s bowl feature, due to its height and proximity to the water.
Fencing erected after the supposed completion of the project was intended to be taken down at the end of August, but remains up to this day (C) Deadline News
The council inspection team felt there was a risk that someone could fall from the rim of the bowl, either by climbing up there or accidentally skating over it.
The team behind the park now hopes to get it open to the public by the end of November, with contractors slated to install the railings next week
Helen Brown, trust manager at the Water of Leith Conservation Trust described their difficulties in solving the issue following the inspection: “It’s not a particularly difficult thing to rectify, but actually finding a contractor to make the bespoke railing has taken quite a long time.
“We are very hopeful that they can be put in during the week of 10 November, and hopefully we’ll be able to take down the fencing and let everyone in finally.”
Coalie Park is a public “green and blue” space that lies on the Water of Leith underneath the Great Junction Street Bridge.
The park was initially built in the 1980s, but has fallen into disrepair since, with the space being plagued by littering, graffiti, and antisocial behaviour.
From 2021, however, a project has been underway to regenerate the area, with new paths, stairways, seating, and artwork put in place by the water.
A view of the skatepark, where work and activity has ground to a halt, from the Great Junction Street Bridge over the Water of Leith (C) Deadline News
The project is now complete apart from the final phase – the skatepark.
That also was all but completed, with ramps, the offending bowl, seating, and a stunning mosaic on the site of the park in place, before the August inspection.
On the delays caused by the inspection, Helen added: “We’d finished the project and spent all the money – so this is why it took a little bit longer.”
The project was mostly completed by Edinburgh Wheels and the Water of Leith Conservation Trust, but the council retained the final sign-off on the project following risk assessments.
Fencing put up just before the planned opening of the skatepark, expected to be down by the end of August, has remained in place, and signs warning passersby about safety issues with the site now adorn it.
It had passed through the planning process and Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) inspection without issue, but at the final moment, the bowl issue was flagged.
Notices have appeared on the fencing outside the skatepark warning people not to use it due to “high risk” and non-compliance with safety regulations (C) Deadline News
Helen added: “It’s not one of these occasions where we’re lambasting the council for holding things up.
“It was a genuine oversight, and we don’t want to play the blame game, because the council have been very supportive in helping to find a contractor and helping to fund the project.
“it’s not a doom-and-gloom on them.”
The Blake Group – a local contractor – is set to install the railings.
While Helen said the entire team was keen to get the park open, she admitted that the lack of railings on the bowl was a serious issue: “Because it is so high and down to the riverside – there’s a big drop down there.
“So, you can see if someone came off on their skateboard and went over, and there was someone walking below, there could be an incident.
“But also, if someone was to climb up onto the wall and try to jump down parkour style, it could be quite dangerous.
She added: “By the end of the month, we really hope that it can be open.”
The City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh Wheels have been approached for comment.
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