A skatepark in Watford is set to be sold to a housing developer by the borough council.
Council agrees to sell former skatepark site
The Lower Derby Road skate park was closed by the council in 2021 after they built a new skatepark at Oxhey Activity Park.
On Wednesday (June 1), the borough council’s Liberal Democrat cabinet agreed to sell the closed skatepark, along with nearby empty offices and a car washing garage.
Penelope Hill, the council’s portfolio holder for property, said the site had been “recognised as a good development site for new housing” given the nearby town centre and public transport options.
“The proximity to reliable public transport makes it ideal for a development without parking, which meets the council’s sustainability goals for reducing reliance on cars,” she said.
“As a council, we recognise the need for high-quality housing for our residents and that there is significant pressure on our housing.
“The best approach is to sell this surplus site to the private development market.
“We would expect disposal to take between six and 18 months, with marketing commencing at the end of summer.”
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Plans could see around 59 homes built
The site was allocated for around 59 homes in the council’s 2022 Local Plan, which acts as the blueprint for future development in the area.
Land next to the skatepark was bought by the borough council from the county council in 2024 to allow “an improved housing scheme” to be developed across “a larger single site”.
Residents and skaters voice opposing views
In April this year, the Watford Observer reported that nearby residents at Rainbow House without parking permits had launched a petition to turn the skatepark into a car park.
Petitioners said that the skate park is “rarely used for skating” but had become “a hotspot for drug use and nuisance behaviour”.
A separate ‘Save Watford Skatepark’ petition was set up by skater Charlie Swan, opposing plans to build homes on the site.
“Watford does not need to lose another vital third space … it needs more places where young people can be active, build friendships, develop confidence, and feel that they belong,” the petition reads.
Council defends decision amid housing demand
Cllr Hill said she was aware that “many members of the community … feel very strongly about this site”, but added: “We have to recognise the demand for housing and that there is alternative provision [for skateboarding] at the Oxhey Activity park … that provision was developed by the council to make sure there was a continuous service and provision available for people who felt strongly about that.”
Nigel Bell, leader of the council’s Labour group, suggested it was not as “simple” as providing an alternative skate park given the distance between them – around a 17-minute walk – and asked whether the funds raised from selling the skatepark would be used towards other services for young people.
Peter Taylor, the mayor of Watford, said: “Any money that we receive from this will be invested in the priorities that we’ve set out in our council plan, so things like improving basketball provision and cricket and other things that we have made a priority of.
“We’re very much committed to investing in our parks, in our leisure centres, in our sports provision and we’ve clearly got plans to continue that.”
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