{"id":552426,"date":"2025-11-06T07:25:55","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T07:25:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/552426\/"},"modified":"2025-11-06T07:25:55","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T07:25:55","slug":"opening-of-edinburgh-community-skatepark-delayed-due-to-safety-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/552426\/","title":{"rendered":"Opening of Edinburgh community skatepark delayed due to safety concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"

A\u00a0SKATEPARK<\/a>\u00a0built by community groups in Edinburgh has had its opening delayed after a City of Edinburgh Council inspection uncovered safety concerns.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Dock at Coalie Par<\/a>k \u2013 a skatepark\u00a0by the Water of Leith<\/a> that was initially slated to be opened in August \u2013 was being built by Edinburgh Wheels<\/a> in collaboration with the Water of Leith Conservation Trust<\/a> and with oversight from\u00a0the City of\u00a0Edinburgh Council.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Teams of volunteers and contractors have been working for months to transform a patch of underutilised ground next to Leith\u2019s famous waterway into a skatepark as part of the wider Coalie Park regeneration project.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Just prior to the opening of the skatepark, however, a safety inspection by Edinburgh Council took place, and it was\u00a0deemed\u00a0that railings would be\u00a0required\u00a0on the park\u2019s bowl feature, due to its height and proximity to the water.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Fencing<\/a>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<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The team behind the park now hopes to get it open to the public by the end of November, with contractors slated to install\u00a0the railings next week\u00a0<\/p>\n

Helen Brown,\u00a0trust manager at the Water of Leith Conservation Trust described their difficulties in solving the issue following the inspection:\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0not a particularly\u00a0difficult thing\u00a0to rectify, but\u00a0actually finding\u00a0a contractor to make the bespoke railing has taken quite a long time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very hopeful that they can be put in during the week of\u00a010\u00a0November, and hopefully we\u2019ll be able to take down the fencing and let everyone in finally.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Coalie Park is a public \u201cgreen and blue\u201d space that lies on the Water of Leith underneath the Great Junction Street Bridge.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>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<\/p>\n

The project is now complete apart from the final phase \u2013 the skatepark.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That also was all but completed, with ramps, the offending bowl, seating, and a stunning mosaic on the site of the park in\u00a0place, before\u00a0the August inspection.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On the delays caused by the inspection, Helen added: \u201cWe\u2019d finished the project and spent all the money \u2013 so this is why it took a little bit longer.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The project was mostly completed by Edinburgh Wheels and the Water of Leith Conservation Trust, but the council\u00a0retained\u00a0the final sign-off on the project following risk assessments.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

It had passed\u00a0through 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Notices<\/a>Notices have appeared on the fencing outside the skatepark warning people not to use it due to \u201chigh risk\u201d and non-compliance with safety regulations (C) Deadline News<\/p>\n

Helen added: \u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0not one of these occasions where\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0lambasting the council for holding things up.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a genuine oversight, and we\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0want to play the blame game, because the council have been\u00a0very supportive\u00a0in helping to find a contractor and helping to fund the project.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cit\u2019s\u00a0not a doom-and-gloom on them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Blake Group \u2013 a local contractor \u2013\u00a0is\u00a0set to install the railings.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While Helen said the entire team was keen to get the park open, she admitted that the lack of railings on the bowl was\u00a0a serious issue: \u201cBecause it is so high and down to the riverside \u2013\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0a big drop down there.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSo,\u00a0you\u00a0can\u00a0see if someone came off on their skateboard and went over, and there was someone walking below, there could be an incident.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBut also, if someone\u00a0was\u00a0to climb up onto the wall and try to jump down parkour style, it could be quite dangerous.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She added: \u201cBy the end of the month, we really hope that it can be open.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh Wheels have been approached for comment.<\/p>\n

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