Plans to build a new skate park in Beccles have taken a huge step forward following a £25,000 contribution from the town council. The money will go towards replacing the wooden skate park in Common Lane with a modern concrete park, with the total cost of the project estimated at £150,000.

The Beccles Skatepark Committee has been working hard to raise awareness and funds for the project, with information packs including the park’s history, a new vision, and design drawings sent out to local businesses earlier this year.

Beccles Town Council had already committed around £5,000 to allow the committee to submit an application to WREN to bid for a grant of up £50,000, which is still to be decided. And as well as agreeing to give £25,000 of council money towards the project, councillors are hoping to allocate a further £5,000 towards the scheme from S106 developer contribution money.

Nik Rose, chairman of the committee, said: “We were just gobsmacked. It is more money than we could have possibly hoped for.

“And we hope it will open up the door for people to see that it is going to happen, it’s got the support of the council and what can they do to help.”

Mr Rose said the project could be completed in two sections if the full amount couldn’t be raised straight away, with the main skating area built first and the bowl section built at a later date. However, he said it would be more cost effective to build it all at once.

The committee has raised around £4,000 towards the project themselves, and is calling on other local organisations to help.

Richard Stubbings, chairman of Beccles Town Council’s finance and general purposes committee, said: “It is a great facility for the young people of Beccles and the existing skate park was installed in 2003 so it’s near the end of its life.

“The council is spending a fair amount of money to maintain it, which we are happy to do, but we think it would be better to build a new one.

“The Beccles Skate Park committee are doing a great job of raising awareness and money and they have been working with a company which has come up with some fantastic designs which will be far better than the existing skate park, look better in the landscape and be much less of an eyesore.

“And now that we’ve got the ball rolling we hope other people will support it to keep it going.”

To find out more about how you can help search for Beccles Skatepark Community on Facebook.