I know Coventry is a long way from London, and most of you have probably never been, but Bay66 needs your help. For some reason, it seems as though local councils are trying their best to close down indoor skateparks and replace them with investments that benefit them, but not the local community and youth. For every good skatepark that manages to stay open or improve business, it would seem that another gets a kick in the teeth from those with no understanding or interest in skateboarding. The latest group of fatcats looking to push skateboarders out of a dedicated facility and back onto the streets is the Westway Development Trust. And what could they possibly think is better for our youth than a world class skatepark? A football pitch? An art space? No, something even better than that. The Westway Development Trust are under the impression that a garden centre is exactly what the youth need. Oh, and an office space. Of course, in Coventry we’ve all spent an afternoon down B&Q, enjoying the garden department and picking up some lovely shrubs. And of course who can forget the weeks they spent in an office when they were a teenager? For a slightly more biased account of what’s happening (as I clearly love gardening and offices way too much to give a balanced view), here’s a blurb about the current happenings from Sidewalk;
The future of BaySixty6 skatepark in London is currently in doubt, as The Westway Development Trust are seeking planning permission to turn the area where the park is situated, under the A40, into a garden centre and office space, stating that “the skatepark does not serve needs of the local youths”.
As you can tell from my extremely sarcastic tone, this idea is either a complete and utter misjudgement of their target demographic, or it’s a cheap shot for a bunch of corporate pricks to get some land for a business development. Obviously, they feel as though an area for kids to socialise, stay healthy and express themselves positively is a BAD thing and would prefer it if youths were out vandalising cars and mugging grannies, and older skateboarders like myself were getting fat sitting on the couch watching football. Needless to say, this is something that you need to stand up for if you love skateboarding, regardless of where you’re from; get that petition signed, and for added effect join the facebook group.
The Terrible Company 
Leave a comment