Mount Hawthorn Youth Skate Space

Update

The new skate space is now open. Everyone is welcome at our grand opening event on Saturday 21 September from 10am to 12pm.

Construction of the new youth skate space at Britannia Reserve started on 8 April was completed in August 2024.

The 350-square metre small-scale facility caters for young skaters and is located on the northwest corner of the reserve, just north of the basketball ring and adjacent to the new multi-sports changeroom facility currently under construction.

Designed in consultation with local families and members of the skating community, the Skate Space is designed for entry level skaters to develop and hone their skills. Its range of street and transition elements includes:

• quarter pipes
• banks
• rails
• ledges
• tabletop and a mini ramp

For more information on the project visit the City of Vincent website.

Background

This project developed following a community survey in 2020 from John Carey MLA, to obtain feedback on a potential skate and scooter facility in the Mount Hawthorn/North Perth area that caters towards children aged under 12. The survey findings indicated strong support for a youth skate space in or around the suburb of Mount Hawthorn, with Britannia Reserve being the most favoured location.

The City was successful in receiving $200, 000 funding towards the construction of a skate space via a 2021 State Election Commitment. The skate space will only be constructed to this level of funding and will be approximately a 350 square-metre footprint, which is considered a ‘small scale’ facility.

Preliminary community consultation was conducted between July - August 2022 on the proposed location, design considerations and skateable elements to inform the draft Mount Hawthorn Youth Skate Space Concept Plan (Concept Plan).

The skate space and elements within the Concept Plan were designed to cater towards younger children and entry-level skaters, with all elements being under 1m high from the current surface level. With the skate elements being of this smaller scale, it will also assist with integrating the skate space into the existing landscape.

The draft Concept Plan was endorsed by Council at its 13 December 2022 Meeting.

Project details

Through the detailed design process, further site complications were identified and deemed the initially endorsed location not feasible. The City, project working group and Skate Sculpture identified alternative locations for the skate space, with a preferred site being identified to deliver within the allocated budget and scope.

The revised location was subsequently endorsed by Council at its 12 December 2023 Meeting.

During the detailed design phase, further options will be explored to suitably connect the site with nearby amenities including the soon to be constructed Litis Stadium change rooms and the wider reserve. Given the condition of the nearby basketball ring, development in this location provides an opportunity to renew this asset concurrently with the construction of the skate space to promote various other recreational activities in this area of the reserve.

What happens next?

The overall design will retain all the initial Concept Plan features including the shade structure and picnic tables, grass embankments to integrate the skate space into the landscape and additional greening to provide buffer zones from the car park and Principal Shared Path. All while retaining the existing trees in the area.

Detailed design is currently being undertaken with construction to commence in the early stages of 2024.

For more information, contact the City on 9273 6000 or mail@vincent.wa.gov.au