SKATEBOARDERS using Blackburn’s new £34million Cathedral Quarter as an unofficial hang out could be in line for a new town centre skatepark.

Concerns shoppers and prospective tennants could feel intimidated by town centre spaces being used for skateboarding, particularly the area close to the currently unoccupied tower block, One Cathedral Square, have been expressed by business leaders.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Since the completion of the new buildings and paving of the square close to the Queen Victoria statue, dozens of skateboarders have congregated, almost on a daily basis, to perform stunts on the steps.

Now business leaders in the town have pledged and initial £1,000 to look into the feasibility of building somewhere in the town for the skaters to congregate.

The skaters said they feel they have nowhere to go in Blackburn and have no wish to intimidate or damage anything and always clear up after themselves.

Harriet Roberts, manager of Business Improvement District behind the new initiative, said: “The proposed feasibility study would look into a range of options and look at the facilities other towns have created for skateboarders and even the potential to turn it into a possible attraction and feature.

“The costs and long term viability would also need to examined.

“We don’t want to get anybody’s hope up at this stage, but if the study goes ahead and identifies some options we would then want to consult with as wide a range of people as possible, including those that currently use the existing town centre spaces for skateboarding.”

The Blackburn Business Improvement District (BID) Safe & Secure working Group has acknowledged there is an issue caused by skateboarders.

The working group brings a range of partners together including the police, Blackburn Business Against Crime, Blackburn College, the Cathedral and town centre businesses at regular monthly meetings.

A proposal by the working group to finance a feasibility study to look into the solutions used in other towns such as Clitheroe and Southport and to look at potential costs including maintenance and insurance of any long term solution was made at the last meeting.

This proposal will go before the main BID Executive Board for approval at the next board meeting which takes place on the Tuesday, July 12.

Ronnie O’Keeffe, who runs security at the Mall shopping centre and is part of the BID group, said: “Neighbourhood police and town centre security staff engage with the youths on a daily basis.

“It’s a difficult situation but no criminal damage or illegal nuisance is happening so the law is not being broken.

“The feasibility study will be a good start for finding a solution for all and I hope people will come together with positive ideas.”

The Cathedral Square development, which includes a 60-bed Premier Inn Hotel which opened in December and an open festival square and landscaping was completed late last year.

It also includes the £8.5million ‘clergy court’ suite of accommodation for cathedral staff which includes a cloister garden and Café Northcote restaurant.

Capita are the only confirmed tenants of the new five floor office block and will be taking one of the five floors but have not moved in yet.

On Wednesday at 4pm there were about 20 skateboarders and their friends congregated in the Cathedral Quarter area.

Thomas Harbour, 16, from Grimshaw Park, said he spends’ every spare hour’ at Cathedral Square.

He said: “I don’t see that we’re causing any nuisance and we always clean up after ourselves.

“Nobody’s in the building anyway.

“To be honest the area is absolutely ideal for skateboarding with the long steps and the other features.

“A skate park in the town centre would be great. If we had one none of us would be here.”

Sam Lawton, 18, travels from Accrington to Blackburn to board.

He said: “It’s a good idea to talk to us about a skate park.

“The place at Clitheroe is well used and brilliantly designed.

“We need something like that in Blackburn.”