AFTER three years of wrangling a £60,000 skate park for West Swindon has finally been unveiled at Rivermead after a swift construction project this summer.

Designed and created by Wheelscape, the park had originally been intended for Salt Way Fields, before it met with opposition from Sparcells residents.

About 70 letters of objection were received and there were concerns surrounding the lack of consultation, so three sites were pitched to the public.

Councillors eventually decided upon the land opposite the Spectrum building at Rivermead as the ideal location.

Coun Nick Martin (Con, Shaw), who has been pushing for the facility since the beginning of 2012, said he was pleased a solution had finally been reached.

"It is not too far to travel for a lot of the users. It is like ducks to water for a lot of them and there is a great deal of satisfaction from them," he said.

“The age range generally is between seven and 25, so we will often see parents coming along to help out the younger ones.”

The park was officially opened by Deputy Mayor Eric Shaw this morning, after two weeks of being used by town skaters.

Regular litter picks will be carried out in the area by a local business which has stepped up to volunteer.

Among those enjoying the new facilities was 16-year-old Ollie Mulraney, who has been skating on and off for the last year.

He said it was a prime location for him, but some improvements could be made.

“I do come here regularly because I just live around the corner,” he said.

“It is a really nice park, although it gets a bit muddy at times, which can cause problems.

“It is useful not just for people who are more advanced but skaters who are just starting out.

“It’s not a huge area but it is a nice, simple design which works for everyone. You can get skate-boarders but also bikers and scooters.

“It does feel a bit isolated so a few more things like benches would be good.

“You can tell it’s just been put here in a bit of a remote place, and while it’s ideal for me it’s a bit out of the way for a lot of people.”