Our last article told the story of the new Skate Park facility planned for Wigmore Valley Park.
We have had a response from Luton Rising on the subject, which has now been published on their website:-
“Unexpected site conditions”, “essential drainage improvements”?
This facility is part of the Planning Approval for New Century Park/Green Horizons Park, which was a key enabler of airport expansion plans, as they sit on the same site. Design and planning for it was commenced around 2016, if not earlier, as the designs for the site were first aired in 2017; yes, that is seven or eight years ago, yet these “conditions” have only just been identified?
As part of Luton Rising’s Development Consent Order Application, a borehole test, and soil analysis, was done in the new Skate Park area. Those test sites (as shown in the photo above) do not mention any drainage issues?
The site of the Skate Park sits to the West of the original Wigmore Farmhouse, so was not part of the municipal refuse tip, which sits under the bulk of the park site.
So, what these “unexpected site conditions” are quite frankly baffling. Unless of course it is an easier public response than admitting Luton Rising does not have the funds to pay for the project, and only put the fences up to keep the Planning Application live?
“Essential drainage improvements” brings more scratching of heads, as that area is less prone to waterlogging than the rest of the park, unless of course, it means drainage of the skate park itself? As it is a large concrete construction, we would assume that efficient drainage on the ramps, and runoff capture provision, would have been a significant part of the design.
Unless of course, that design was knocked up on the cheap, so Luton Rising could spend more money on other projects, rather than those legally binding ones, under Planning Consent.
The delivery of the facility is now slated for “late 2025”, though we expect that as the Development Consent Order decision date is now less than one month away, should that decision be a no, the construction will be abandoned completely.