Disused skatepark to be sold to developer

A disused skatepark in Watford is set to be sold to a housing developer.

The Lower Derby Road park was closed by Watford Borough Council in 2021 after it built a new facility at Oxhey Activity Park.

On 1 July the cabinet agreed to sell the closed skatepark, along with nearby empty offices and a car washing garage.

Liberal Democrat councillor Penelope Hill, 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.

She said its proximity to public transport made it "ideal for a development without parking".

Marketing for the sale is expected to begin at the end of summer, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

It was earmarked for about 59 homes in the council's 2022 local plan.

The council also bought adjoining land from the county council in 2024 to create a larger site for what it described as an "improved housing scheme".

Earlier this year a petition launched by residents argued the skatepark should be used for parking as it was "rarely used for skating" and 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.

Hill said she recognised the strength of feeling locally but said the council had to balance that against housing demand.

Do you have a story suggestion for Beds, Herts or Bucks? Contact us below.

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.