Survey results
No clear winners !
Summary of Long Ashton Skatepark Survey Results
• Survey completed with 441 responses (7.3% of village)
• Demographics:
- Gender: 52% female, 42% male, 4.5% "don't want to say"
- Age distribution:
* 35% aged 35-44
* 30% aged 45-54
* 16% aged 55 or older
* Only 13% under 16 ("The disappointment for us is that only 13% are under 16")
- 92% residents of Long Ashton and Leigh Woods
"Dear teenage boy at the skate park:
You're probably about 15 years-old, so I don't expect you to be very mature or for you to want a little girl on your skate ramp for that matter.
What you don't know is that my daughter has been wanting to skateboard for months. I actually had to convince her that skateboarding wasn't just for boys.
So when we walked up to the skate park and saw that it was full of teenage boys, she immediately wanted to turn around and go home.
I secretly wanted to go too because I didn't want to have to put on my mom voice and exchange words with you.
I also didn't want my daughter to feel like she had to be scared of anyone, or that she wasn't entitled to that skate park just as much as you were.
So when she said, "Mom it's full of older boys," I calmly said, "So what, they don't own the skate park."
She proceeded to go down the ramp in spite of you and your friends flying past her and grinding rails beside her.
She only had two or three runs in before you approached her and said "Hey, excuse me..."
I immediately prepared to deliver my "She's allowed to use this park just as much as you guys" speech when I heard you say, "Your feet are wrong. Can I help you?"
You proceeded to spend almost an hour with my daughter showing her how to balance and steer, and she listened to you – a feat not attained by most adults.
You held her hand and helped her get up when she fell down and I even heard you tell her to stay away from the rails so that she wouldn't get hurt.
I want you to know that I am proud that you are part of my community, and I want to thank you for being kind to my daughter.
She left the skate park with a sense of pride and with the confidence that she can do anything, because of you."
• Support for skatepark:
- 66% in favour
- 19% against
- Remainder undecided
Do you want a skate park in Long Ashton?
• Site preferences:
1. Northeast Peel Park (Site 1):
- 31% against
- 24% in favour
- 7% undecided
- 38% did not respond
2. Northwest mound (Site 2):
- 44% against
- 9% in favour
- 6% undecided
- 41% did not respond
3. Grass area next to Birdwell (Site 3):
- 45% against
- 9% in favour
- 22% undecided
- 24% did not respond
4. Redevelopment of Long Ashton Community Centre (Site 4):
- 30% against
- 37% in favour
- 22% undecided
- 11% did not respond
• Land acquisition exploration:
- 45% against
- 21% in favour
- 33% undecided
• Skatepark working group reflections:
- Survey confirms majority still want a skatepark in Long Ashton
- No clear mandate for any specific site
- Least objectionable options: original Peel Park site and redevelopment of Long Ashton Community Centre
- Suggestion to explore long-term lease (15-20 years) of university land above football field at LACA
•
- Survey confirms majority of adults who replied still want a skatepark in Long Ashton at 66%
Skatepark working group reflections
- Local wildlife trust raised issues about wild bees, butterflies, and badgers after survey closed.
- Concerns about butterfly habitat, the devil is in the detail as the survey was 3 x 15 minute surveys of the hedgerow areas in Peel Park and not the proposed site itself.
- Bee population concerns based on questionable interpretation of Canadian study as 282 colonies went to over 3000 in an urban area = demand on resources meant wild bees lost out, we are not this type of area and honey bees allow for pollination , the skate park will not stop this and legally any development has to fully mitigate for any habitat loss.
- Badger safety concerns noted but considered manageable in design phase and again as protected needs full mitigation
- We are legally and morally obliged to ensure we mitigate any environmental loss and improve the environment for biodiversity.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/102fgxDpY9dTnmLRfwMfBT5VXcrHIOy3bhnHTWb9xC-g/edit?usp=sharing
Environmental concerns:
- Conduct immediate noise survey for Peel Park site and survey to see any other issues if you are planning to go ahead with this option still prior to pushing forward ie can it get through?
If you wish to consider any other site , you need to do the same pre survey.
- Explore university land lease option 15-20 years (land above Peel park and football field)?
- Work collaboratively with the community and wildlife trust to address concerns.
- Seek council guidance on next steps ("We need guidance from you of where you would like to go from our perspective")
Working Group Recommendations: