Above photo: Dave Rebs

Stockwell Skatepark has recently been listed as an Asset of Community Value – what exactly does this entail and what further steps are you looking for? With the reconstruction of the area having already claimed a local music scene mainstay in the form of the Grosvenor pub, there must be some worries about the parks future?

We initially set up Friends of Stockwell Skatepark after attempts to establish who was responsible for the upkeep of the park proved inconclusive – neither Lambeth Council nor the local Housing Association were willing to take responsibility. We also had and still do have serious concerns about the forthcoming redevelopment of the neighbouring housing estate; the first plans we saw had three high rise towers and came right up to the edge of the skatepark wall! At the moment we’re bordered by green space and a four story building, proposed is a twenty story tower and an ominous grey ‘plaza’.

Achieving Asset of Community Value status is just the first step on the path to securing the future of the skatepark. It means that if the owners of the land want to sell it they have to give us an option to make a bid and six months to raise money. In effect it creates a barrier to sale.

From here onwards we’re investigating some stronger legal protections. We’re seeking a Section 106 agreement with the developers. S106s are specific planning agreements between affected parties, for example Long Live South Bank now have an S106 agreement between themselves and the South Bank Centre. This type of agreement could be used as a source of funding for resurfacing and extensions to the park – it could also be used to protect the park as a skatepark, or both. We’re also looking at Village Green status and a thing called Metropolitan Open Land, which is similar to Green Belt status but for urban areas.

James Hall reapers in the snow for Rich West’s lens.

We’ve now established that the council owns and is responsible for the skatepark and we’ve recently had verbal guarantees from the council that they will help raise funds for a resurface. In a few days time we’ve a further meeting with the local developers, to discuss their plans and the possibility of extending the park by creating an indoor bowl with a community roof garden above it…amidst the concerns about the redevelopment are also unanswered questions about the boundary of the skatepark’s land. It should be an interesting meeting.

Jah Screechy is down! Courtesy of Anna Maria Photography

Over the years the park has seen various new surfaces, changes in obstacles and people moving in and out of the area. Want to shed some light on some of the main eras of Stockwell and what major changes have occurred?

The park was originally built in 1978 by Lambeth Council and the enigmatic Lorne Edwards, who was also responsible for Portland, Kennington, Meanwhile 2, and who knows how many more of the UKs classic 70s parks. We think Stockwell is probably the oldest Lorne Edwards park still standing and one of the oldest concrete parks left in the UK as a whole. From what we understand Lorne simply started digging holes with a JCB one day on land recently vacated by the local Baptist Church, we don’t think there was much advanced planning! Planning permission was awarded retrospectively in 1981.

The park remained unchanged until 1995 when some of the locals including ‘gnarly’ Tom Dubern and Matt McMullan (RIP) campaigned for repairs. This led to the much loved red surface. That resurface lasted until 2006, with various rickety local built wooden ramps adding to the fun. In 2006 the local council employed a car park contractor to do a disastrous resurface. This mess was eventually rectified in 2008 after much work by local skater/architect Jeremy Donaldson and friends and local councilor Paul McGlone, who is still helping us today. At the next attempt the new coping section was added. This was a big improvement, but some of the concrete used in resurfacing the old section of the park was not of sufficient quality and those sections are now rapidly deteriorating.

Jeremy Donaldson nosepick. Photo: Jonathan Hay

The area itself has changed dramatically over this time; it’s gone from being a working class area with lots of poverty, squatted properties and failed council estates, through the riots of the early 80s and slowly but steadily up to the current situation, with high property prices and extensive local redevelopment, and the gentrification of many local areas. The local population is growing in size and wealth yet amidst all this new money poverty unfortunately remains. The area is probably safer overall than it once was, but some locations don’t quite have the same character… that said, this has always been an area of change and it’s still a really interesting and diverse community.

During summer months, the skatepark itself pretty much acts as the local community centre. Obviously when the nights draw in the evenings there become less frequent, but I know that local venues have in the past hosted skateboard-based exhibitions. It seems in the time I’ve lived here that the skatepark has a solid connection with the local community and businesses, possibly more so than most parks?

I like to think that the park has a place at the heart of the borough, with strong ties to Brixton Cycles, Stockwell Park Estate and many other people and organisations throughout. Lots of the local kids use the park as well as the bigger ‘kids’ of all ages who enjoy the unique atmosphere the park creates. ‘Brixton Beach’ is much loved by observers from all over as well as its users, it’s an icon for the Brixton and Stockwell area and it provides a lot of social value to the community. I have spoken to the local police liaison officer who believes that the park leads to a net reduction in crime in the local area. People appreciate this is a free public space and they value it for that. 

Jake Snelling stalefish. Photo: Paul Graham

The new generation is killing it hard right now, it seems like skaters who grow up at Stockwell have a lot of flow that’s immediately visible – who is currently smashing it in your eyes?

So many names spring to mind, BMT are mocking it right now: Josh, Tom, Val, Laurence, Rikki, Jack (when he can stay out of hospital), P.J, Ben Broyd, Ewen, Caire and Akin, all the Blast crew, Johnners, Roo.

There has also been a rise in the number of tours stopping through in the last couple of years – what are some of the best visitor moments you’ve witnessed?

I always seem to miss all the big names…saw Bam there once he did a chest high ollie off the end of the big hip , then tried for half an hour to go bigger and couldn’t so he focused his board and went home… kids were fighting over the splinters…

Any last words before we wrap this up?

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