In response to an enquiry from the media we issued the following response in regards to the Donkey Common skate park facilities.

A spokesperson for Cambridge City Council said: “The council undertakes regular inspections of all its skate park facilities, including an annual independent safety inspection. Following the annual inspection at Donkey Common in March, some loose ground fixtures were repaired. CamSkate raised concerns in July, prompting a further inspection which found no major faults or defects. There are currently no outstanding issues with the safety of the Donkey Common skate park facility.

“We understand that CamSkate would like the skate park facility to be renewed, to update the surface material from that used when the park was built 15 years ago to a more modern alternative. However, when CamSkate put forward their proposal to the Environment and Community Scrutiny Committee in October 2021, officers expressed a number of concerns. These concerns related to a proposed loss of grass to concrete, the creation of hard surfaces close to established trees, and limited segregation between those using the skate park and those using the footpath, which could cause a considerable safety risk to path users.

“Not only that, but the proposal would have cost upwards of £70,000. The Council will continue to work with CamSkate to develop and bring forward a more suitable proposal. The council will need to carefully weigh up whether funding the renewal of the skate park would be the best use of public funds whilst it also has to deal with a range of financial pressures. There are more modern skate parks within close proximity to the Donkey Common site, and this would likely be a significant factor when considering future spending options.”

The executive councillor leading on this matter is Cllr Alex Collis (Labour), Executive Councillor for Open Spaces, Food Justice and Community Development. Spokespersons for the other political groups on this issue are Cllr Cheney Payne (Liberal Democrat) and Cllr Hannah Copley (Green/Independent Group).