Skateboarders ‘ruining' £7.5m public square at Victoria Gateway in Southend (From Echo)

A change in the design would have soon stopped this.

Thing is, there are lots of better places the children could play on their skateboards, but they like an audience.

The whole thing is poorly conceived.
Whose got really frustrated at the lane layout when travelling from southchurch to westcliff (London Rd).
Long queue for the London Rd on the left ,long queue to go up Victoria on the right with a middle lane empty .This middle lane should serve either direction instead only serves Victoria..always empty.
As regards the acres of concrete in the middle..what does the council expect..it serves no purpose whats so ever,it's just another high maintenance/cost waste of space while we all queue up or just back up down the queensway...joke!

Further footnote:
PUBLIC SPACE'S are traditionally in town squares..nice fountain,benches,saf
e for kids.
NOT in the middle of a messy ,dangerous ,confusing and unattractive junction.
This 'public space' will end up just another Warrior Sq...(a drugs and drink meet)

I sometimes walk across here from Southend Vic way into town. One of the things I've noticed is that the traffic lights take an age to change to red and it's probably quicker to cut through Vic Plaza.

Anyway, back on topic, I agree with APR when he says that these people like an audience to perform their stunts/inadvertently break things.

An ageing roundabout? It was a very nice looking entrance to Southend with established trees and flower beds. What used to be a pretty good flow of traffic has turned into cars continually using turn right lanes to go straight on, stopping at a red light that is actually for different traffic, etc, with continual horns going as people are cut up or get confused by no road markings in the centre of the junction. The changes were just an exercise in councillor ego boosting rather than doing something useful like providing youth facilities or dealing with the derelict buildings along Victoria Avenue. How did they get 'council of the year 2012', especially half way through the year.

The yobs on skateboards should be treated the same as the arrogant bike riders in the High Street, catch them fine them. Should stop the dropouts soon enough, when they realise their drink, drugs and fag money is going.

Max Impact wrote:
The yobs on skateboards should be treated the same as the arrogant bike riders in the High Street, catch them fine them. Should stop the dropouts soon enough, when they realise their drink, drugs and fag money is going.

Skateboarders and the Southend dropouts are two very different groups of people

You have to laugh at that tory buffoon
Tony Cox, what planet does he live on...
.
“This is an area that’s had a lot of money spent on it and it’s there as the gateway to the town and for people to use as a pleasant square."
.
Cant stop laughing at his opinion that its a 'pleasant square'!!!
.
Tony have you actually been to Vic Gateway???
Or have you only seen the CGI images from a few years back?
If you do decide to visit you will find a dull grey desolate uninspiring concrete slabbed wasteland surrounded by increased levels of conjestion and polution! (which was previously a free flowing landscaped roundabout allowing traffic to breeze through the centre of town)
.
Without a doubt the biggest c0ckup in this towns unfortunate history of having the tories in the hotseat.

I say, can't have members of the public enjoying themselves in public places....

Richy don't shine shoes no more wrote:

Max Impact wrote:
The yobs on skateboards should be treated the same as the arrogant bike riders in the High Street, catch them fine them. Should stop the dropouts soon enough, when they realise their drink, drugs and fag money is going.

Skateboarders and the Southend dropouts are two very different groups of people

How about calling them vandals then, as thier willful actions are causing damage to the area. With them knowing this and continuing to partake in thier actions should they be arrested and charged.

Max Impact wrote:

Richy don't shine shoes no more wrote:

Max Impact wrote:
The yobs on skateboards should be treated the same as the arrogant bike riders in the High Street, catch them fine them. Should stop the dropouts soon enough, when they realise their drink, drugs and fag money is going.

Skateboarders and the Southend dropouts are two very different groups of people

How about calling them vandals then, as thier willful actions are causing damage to the area. With them knowing this and continuing to partake in thier actions should they be arrested and charged.

You should change your name to 'Ban everything I have never done'.

I don't see the problem: skateboarders can be entertaining (wander along Nice promenade and watch them in action) and this isn't exactly a beautiful area we are talking about - just a large expanse of very pleasant paving in the middle of heavy traffic.

Drastic action needs to be taken for viually impaired to cross from the Station to the Odeon. I challange cllr Cox and indeed any other cllr to walk out of the station wearing a blindfold and carrying a white stick to croos the road. Should be an interesting article for the Echo

What a load of sad, whinging, boring, sterile people you lot must be. We have these spaces for people to be in, to add vibrancy and life to what is a boring junction and you lot moan. Better to have skaters than drunks and louts. When stuck in traffic they are great to watch. Keep skating lads its a great place for it. Also what a great way for visitors to see this going on. Reclaim our spaces from traffic and sterile Council planning!

im a skateboarder and i skate there regularly and all we do is use the flatground causing no damage to anything so i dont see the problem? if its that much of an issue why dont the council spend a few grand making a skatepark for us like we asked instead of spending millions on a bit of concrete...

how dare anyone have any fun.... this is just a very expensive, unnecessary carbuncle to look at while you are stuck in gridlock. its public art, and as everyone knows, 'Art' is supposed to prompt an emotion. On this occasion the intended emotions are crippling fear for pedestrians and hatred for all humanity for motorists.

i agree with most posters above, with the exception of max who never ever disagrees with Tony cox or any of the other Tory shambles..

if your not paid by the council then you should at least ask for an expense account or an invite to the annual strand house dinner party....

imagine the lack of atmosphere in that room... eurrrr

You spent £7.5 million on this PUBLIC square you could have spent £7 million and the .5 on a skatepark, which would have been with that kind of funding one of the best in the country, meaning skaters coming from all round to skate it, this would have eradicated the problem with people skating in the square along with bringing more people to southend.

Max Impact wrote:
The yobs on skateboards should be treated the same as the arrogant bike riders in the High Street, catch them fine them. Should stop the dropouts soon enough, when they realise their drink, drugs and fag money is going.

Thats is correct just like Bradley Wiggins is part of the Hells Angels and Ryan Giggs is part of a violent football gang, you cant associate skaters with being yobs just because you dont agree with it, i can personally say that all the people in that picture have accomplished more than you will and could accomplish in your lifetime, enjoy you minimum wage job whilst you call people yobs just because one day you will be mowing their lawns and walking their dogs.

harry79 wrote:

Max Impact wrote:
The yobs on skateboards should be treated the same as the arrogant bike riders in the High Street, catch them fine them. Should stop the dropouts soon enough, when they realise their drink, drugs and fag money is going.

Thats is correct just like Bradley Wiggins is part of the Hells Angels and Ryan Giggs is part of a violent football gang, you cant associate skaters with being yobs just because you dont agree with it, i can personally say that all the people in that picture have accomplished more than you will and could accomplish in your lifetime, enjoy you minimum wage job whilst you call people yobs just because one day you will be mowing their lawns and walking their dogs.

But he's a hyperbaric welder dontcha know! The only one in the world whose job entails spending every day agreeing with Southend council on this website.

Max impact your comments are a total joke! your everything thats wrong with society, why penalise a social group because others don't understand or choose not to recognise a sub cultures significance?

Skateboarding is a productive & creative outlet used by many from all sorts of backgrounds to maintain balance in their lifestyle. Its healthy, its social, if anything it keeps younger people away from substance abuse, because it keeps them busy & positive rather than bored & destructive.

Have any of you negative keyboard warriors actually ventured out to this public space? hardly architectural genius! Nobody is using this space other than skateboarders because as stated before its surrounded by congestion & pollution. I am appalled this even cost the supposed £7.5 million how about putting that back into education so Southend's community isn't full of narrow minded people with a chip on their shoulder.

Or provide a skateboard plaza & other active environments that promote positive social behaviour...

Check out what Stoke council have provided ..
http://direct.coresi
tes.mporatrons.com/r
ideukbmx/wp-content/
uploads/2010/03/stok
e-plaza.jpg

Contemporary architecture that replicates what we see around us on a daily basis. This didn't cost £7.5 million and it certainly is more aesthetically pleasing than Southend Victoria!

Southend Council take note, this isn't a sweep it under the carpet job! If the people of Southend don't like the 'public spaces' provided being used by skateboarders then why not provide a worthy solution? not just allocate a fraction of your yearly budget on creating more mediocre spaces like all the other skateparks in the local area.

These kids aren't doing drugs, they aren't mugging old ladies, they're not robbing or burgling.

All they're doing is engaging in an energetic hobby in one of the the few places they can while other kids their age sitting on the sofa getting fat as they play their X Box.

People should be looking into the reasons why they have to skate board in a public area like this and asking if some of the 7 million spent on that useless road junction couldn't have been better spent elsewhere.

I agree totally with V's post...What do the council expect if they create a concrete landscape? This is perfect for skateboarders and I say well done to them. They have helped highlight what a waste of space this is.... As other posts have mentioned this area used to have a green roundabouit with nice flowers but now it is grey and congestion is a nightmare. I live locally and now avoid this junction by taking Sutton road or Southchurch road (maye thats what the council wanted?)..
Please carry on skateboarding and maybe we could also encourage some drug takers to also frequent the area? That way the council may realise this was a waste of time and money. Why not create an underpass for foot passengers then resort back to the nice roundabout with greenery?

The worse thing about being a skateboarder is having to tell your mum and dad your gay.

Was it not the skateboarding menaces that wrecked the original seating in the High Street by grinding across them... YES it was, they have a skate park at Leigh, if they are bored why not do charity work, it will help deliver a work ethic in to them.

The amount of hate towards skateboarders in these comments is ridiculous. If you honest think they're are 'mindless yobs' I encourage you to watch this - https://vimeo.com/43
883589

I think it's sad that your article runs on the notion that skateboarders are having a negative impact on your town and serving more as a hindrance. It's an age old problem. Why is the council not getting off their overpaid backsides and providing these kids with a safe park that provides for their needs? I tell you why. Because they are out of touch with the needs of young people. In the early 2000's I lived in Leeds and skateboarders used to congregate at the West Yorkshire Playhouse because like Victoria Gateway, it has a surface and obstacles which are perfect for skateboarding. Instead of making an enemy the West Yorkshire Playhouse, to their credit, allowed the skateboarders to use the space. As a result it brought more to the public space. People would often stop and engage with these kids "jumping up and down on skateboards". Believe me, more often than not, they were impressed and it gave the Playhouse a great reputation. I think what you folks in Southend should really be asking yourself is: Do you want your town to look like yet another homogenous space filled with drab architecture that is frankly a waste of money. Or do you want a town that has an identity and says to visitors that you accept and promote the activities of young people? To me it's a no brainer.

Would much rather have these guys skating in this area than hanging on a corner looking to rob or stab someone or pass out through being drunk and lay in the highstreet making the place look untidy. I am a Police Officer and a Skater, and I skate in many areas like this, being a skater doesn't mean your a yob intent on destruction. Personally I agree with many on here who mention how it livens the place up. it's nice to see people out and about having fun and enjoying the space.

Max Impact wrote:
Was it not the skateboarding menaces that wrecked the original seating in the High Street by grinding across them... YES it was, they have a skate park at Leigh, if they are bored why not do charity work, it will help deliver a work ethic in to them.

actually i think it was bmxers who took off the knobs to grind them in the first place. hardly any skaters are able to grind them because its too high, and even if sometimes we do a truck of a skateboard isnt enough to take large chunks out of the marble. we are aware of damage that we could cause but we try to stay away from causing as much damage as possible :) leigh and chalkwell are too far away, we already get the trains into southend so we arent going to get another one just to go somewhere else that isnt really worth the money anyway... remember weve got to spend anything weve got left on drinks, drugs and fags... :D

Ok I think this is completely over the top!!! This location in Southend is used as a kind of meeting point for us skaters to meet eachother as it is right outside the train and bus station. We can all meet together and go elsewhere. Whilst one person or two arrives and waits for the others we tend to skate around on the floor. I don't see how skating around on the floor damages it considering you have people with luggage cases going along, its virtually the same. We don't damage the benches as virtually no one can get onto me as they are too high. All though a couple skaters can get onto these benches, the trucks of a skateboard do not take chunks out of them, if anything it makes a few scratches along the sides, but this would happen anyway due to weathering and other causes. BMXers also ride in this area and probably do the majority of the damage to the benches as they are the perfect height, a skateboard could not take a chunk out of a bench whereas the vast weight of a bmx could. I think you newspaper people should read up on your facts and not just blame skaters and stereotype us as druggies and hooligans. I can tell you now out of my group that skate off about 7 people only 1 person in that group smokes and the rest have never done it and hate the fact of people smoking. So I suggest you rethink about what you have written and actually learn about what is happening instead of jumping to conclusions without even knowing what you are talking about.

Children on Skateboards!!, Yobs!!!! Vandals!!!

I am a 37 year old skateboarder, I am not a Yob or a Vandal. I have a full time job, pay my taxes and contribute to society. I also like to use my surroundings in a creative manner, like most skateboarders.

I praise these skateboarders, they are doing something that they enjoy and is great exercise. Whats the other options for young people these days? There is not a great deal to do and its fantastic that these guys are staying away from drugs and booze and doing something exceptional.

I am staggered that the council spent 7.5 milliion on something that no one needed. It just provides access into a stagnating town that is going downhill.

Perhaps if councils listened more the people, we would have skateparks that met the needs of its users. All of the skateparks in southend are appalling. Had they have been designed by consulting with the people that use them, rather than going to a company that has no heart or soul in the projects, more people would be using them.

Tom from Southend wrote:
What a load of sad, whinging, boring, sterile people you lot must be. We have these spaces for people to be in, to add vibrancy and life to what is a boring junction and you lot moan. Better to have skaters than drunks and louts. When stuck in traffic they are great to watch. Keep skating lads its a great place for it. Also what a great way for visitors to see this going on. Reclaim our spaces from traffic and sterile Council planning!

So anyone who doesn't agree with you, is sad and boring ?.
I don't know where the sterile bit comes in either. ?

It's OK for people to have fun and enjoy themselves, but not in the middle of a public area, and not when they are damaging the infrastructure.

Paid for by tax payers.

APR wrote:

Tom from Southend wrote:
What a load of sad, whinging, boring, sterile people you lot must be. We have these spaces for people to be in, to add vibrancy and life to what is a boring junction and you lot moan. Better to have skaters than drunks and louts. When stuck in traffic they are great to watch. Keep skating lads its a great place for it. Also what a great way for visitors to see this going on. Reclaim our spaces from traffic and sterile Council planning!

So anyone who doesn't agree with you, is sad and boring ?.
I don't know where the sterile bit comes in either. ?

It's OK for people to have fun and enjoy themselves, but not in the middle of a public area, and not when they are damaging the infrastructure.

Paid for by tax payers.

I'll remember to tell the Sally Army band that when they're in the High Street come Christmas.

APR wrote:

Tom from Southend wrote:
What a load of sad, whinging, boring, sterile people you lot must be. We have these spaces for people to be in, to add vibrancy and life to what is a boring junction and you lot moan. Better to have skaters than drunks and louts. When stuck in traffic they are great to watch. Keep skating lads its a great place for it. Also what a great way for visitors to see this going on. Reclaim our spaces from traffic and sterile Council planning!

So anyone who doesn't agree with you, is sad and boring ?.
I don't know where the sterile bit comes in either. ?

It's OK for people to have fun and enjoy themselves, but not in the middle of a public area, and not when they are damaging the infrastructure.

Paid for by tax payers.

no, anyone who doesnt agree with him is wrong XD we dont damage anything at all... wheels rolling along a floor doesnt do anything? instead of just randomly blaming skateboarders, people need to think more and learn what is actually happening before complaining...

Public space by definition is for everyone. Question not what the skateboarders are doing but those with the power to expend 7.5million on what is seemingly an exclusive place.

'V' wrote:

harry79 wrote:

Max Impact wrote:
The yobs on skateboards should be treated the same as the arrogant bike riders in the High Street, catch them fine them. Should stop the dropouts soon enough, when they realise their drink, drugs and fag money is going.

Thats is correct just like Bradley Wiggins is part of the Hells Angels and Ryan Giggs is part of a violent football gang, you cant associate skaters with being yobs just because you dont agree with it, i can personally say that all the people in that picture have accomplished more than you will and could accomplish in your lifetime, enjoy you minimum wage job whilst you call people yobs just because one day you will be mowing their lawns and walking their dogs.

But he's a hyperbaric welder dontcha know! The only one in the world whose job entails spending every day agreeing with Southend council on this website.

Also has a private pilots licence and shares an aircraft in Germany dontcha know!

This article is a load of shambles. Skateboarding is a hobby, it's a lifestyle which people of all age groups take, because it's an amazing and vibrant sport. I'd first like to say, that the picture used in this article looks so over exaggerated, the pavement is so smooth, not damaged at all in any way, shape, or form. Where as the picture is taken from an angle where every small crack, is magnified. Anyway, I'm 16 years old, I've passed school with 5 B's and 6 A*'s, I'm a sensible boy, I'm serious when it comes to things requiring seriousness, and I support the police with parents paying our OWN money to the government in taxes... And I skateboard. I know groups of skaters, many skaters, and non of us have intentions to destroy an area which is already drab and grey and just concrete with some pointless statue in the middle and benches. All we want to do it get out from our houses, and skate. It's a lifestyle as I mentioned earlier. For the government and the echo and members of the Essex Police to pull up this and over exaggerate it completely, is small and pathetic. I don't know ANY skateboarders who do drugs, we might drink from time to time, but that's youth, that is what the younger generations worldwide do which is unchangeable. Skaters are always picked on for little things, the government know that because they have power, they want to try and control the youth, but I say they are thinking only of themselves and not what kids/teens/young adults want. There are always adverts promoting kids to get out and about, do sports, eat healthily, and not stay inside all day getting fat and wasting their lives. Skating is a sport in which many try to take up and improve, learning new tricks, playing games with other skaters such as S.K.A.T.E and try and have a chance of getting sponsored by companies.

Back to the initial story/article, this whole 'gateway' was never needed, I've lived in South End since the old roundabout was around, I'd get the bus to school everyday going around the roundabout and it was perfectly fine! This whole new concrete, depressing, polluted floor wasn't even needed from what I saw? They destroyed a huge beautiful tree, with bushes and flowers, to create a huge space of concrete with two or three small little, trees!? And the government say the little red light on my T.V adds to the CO2 stuff etc. When Southend Council are doing projects like this!?

Back on track, yet again. The small benches are never used, there is only one bench which skaters I hang out with use, out of the three that are there, and that is the one in the picture. I highly doubt skaters/BMXers/scoot
erers owe the government 7.5MILL for some tiny bobbles which were cut off so we can grind it? Like alexskate stated ...'it was bmxers who took off the knobs to grind them in the first place. hardly any skaters are able to grind them because its too high...', so why aren't you targeting BMXers? The majority of BMXers are actually chavs, who do more vandalism than skaters, drink, mug people, carry knives, and rob houses. Along with scooterers.

In my opinion, why don't you use money for USEFUL things such as building GOOD skateparks. Skateparks in Leigh and Chalkwell and too far away, that's not even an argument to be brought up. The majority of people who use these skateparks are BMXers and scooterers so where the hell do skaters go? We go to places that we can slightly manipulated because they're better than skateparks. The best skateparks to me, are the ones that are replicas of street scenes. With ledges, benches, stair sets, mannypads, small gates. If you actually listened to what skaters want in a skatepark, there would be no issue going on right now, we'd all go to the skatepark rather than town, but examples like Chalkwell Park skatepark... IT'S TERRIBLE. And that area is one of the biggest chav infested areas in Southend!?

The government need to seriously think about skating, and how it's a lifestyle people live towards. This article is absolutely awful, biased, and a complete waste of time. 7.5MILL... Pfft

7.5 million was spent 'doing up' the vic plaza and surrounding area... HOW?! I don't know.
I've skateboarded on this exact spot, not only enjoying the looks I get from the commuters waiting in the crazy delays due to the appalling layout of the traffic lights, but the surface of the floor is pretty much a skateboarders dream...smooth and level. (Unlike leigh skatepark, but i'll get to that...)
For those uneducated in skateboarding, typically there are two types of skateboarding i.e. Street and Ramp.
Street is exactly what it says on the tin.
However, despite numerous petitions, for example, the old B&Q warehouse, warrior square and other large local areas that were run down and druggie ridden, to be turned into a small skatepark, the council have ignored us and have cost to much to the local tax-payer to simply make the area 'look pleasant'.
A small amount of the ridiculous 7.5m could've been better spent building a skatepark IN southend, but again the council won't listen.
This is a typical case of the kids and children, or 'yobs' as you like to call them, having nowhere to go. I'm aware there are parks in leigh, chalkwall and rayleigh, but when the majority of these places are difficult for, children especially, to get to and furthermore, terrible skateparks. Leigh skatepark, cost £15,000 more than Saffron waldon (one of the best skateparks in the country, google it.) and offers nothing more than cracked concrete that causes more injurys than it does successes. Chalkwell might as well have been built by myself for free and I still would have done a better job! The ramps are old and rusted, no higher than my knee-cap and placed so atrociously that no 'lines' or runs can be found to enjoy skateboarding there to it's full potential.
The point i'm trying to make is the extra 500,000 or better yet, half that, could've been used to build a skatepark in southend and for that price it would've undoubtedly been one of the best skateparks in the country with people coming from far, wide and even internationally to use it, bringing more money into southend so they could then spend even more millions making pointless spaces for no obvious use.

But then again, I'm just a 21 year old YOB on a skateboard. What do I know?

Broadwaywatch wrote:

'V' wrote:

harry79 wrote:

Max Impact wrote: The yobs on skateboards should be treated the same as the arrogant bike riders in the High Street, catch them fine them. Should stop the dropouts soon enough, when they realise their drink, drugs and fag money is going.

Thats is correct just like Bradley Wiggins is part of the Hells Angels and Ryan Giggs is part of a violent football gang, you cant associate skaters with being yobs just because you dont agree with it, i can personally say that all the people in that picture have accomplished more than you will and could accomplish in your lifetime, enjoy you minimum wage job whilst you call people yobs just because one day you will be mowing their lawns and walking their dogs.

But he's a hyperbaric welder dontcha know! The only one in the world whose job entails spending every day agreeing with Southend council on this website.

Also has a private pilots licence and shares an aircraft in Germany dontcha know!

Are you stalking me?

I only ask as you seem to keeping tracks on what I do, what I have achieved, making notes of my comments...

So what I don't like to see the seats used as a skate park, thats NOT what they were put in place for.

Max Impact wrote:

Broadwaywatch wrote:

'V' wrote:

harry79 wrote:

Max Impact wrote: The yobs on skateboards should be treated the same as the arrogant bike riders in the High Street, catch them fine them. Should stop the dropouts soon enough, when they realise their drink, drugs and fag money is going.

Thats is correct just like Bradley Wiggins is part of the Hells Angels and Ryan Giggs is part of a violent football gang, you cant associate skaters with being yobs just because you dont agree with it, i can personally say that all the people in that picture have accomplished more than you will and could accomplish in your lifetime, enjoy you minimum wage job whilst you call people yobs just because one day you will be mowing their lawns and walking their dogs.

But he's a hyperbaric welder dontcha know! The only one in the world whose job entails spending every day agreeing with Southend council on this website.

Also has a private pilots licence and shares an aircraft in Germany dontcha know!

Are you stalking me?

I only ask as you seem to keeping tracks on what I do, what I have achieved, making notes of my comments...

So what I don't like to see the seats used as a skate park, thats NOT what they were put in place for.

what have we all just said? no one uses the seats and if we do, theres no damage caused anyway, whats your problem man?

"....what's your problem man ?..."

That sounds a bit "60's" :)

so? my point still stands, we're doing nothing wrong

Max Impact wrote:

Broadwaywatch wrote:

'V' wrote:

harry79 wrote:

Max Impact wrote: The yobs on skateboards should be treated the same as the arrogant bike riders in the High Street, catch them fine them. Should stop the dropouts soon enough, when they realise their drink, drugs and fag money is going.

Thats is correct just like Bradley Wiggins is part of the Hells Angels and Ryan Giggs is part of a violent football gang, you cant associate skaters with being yobs just because you dont agree with it, i can personally say that all the people in that picture have accomplished more than you will and could accomplish in your lifetime, enjoy you minimum wage job whilst you call people yobs just because one day you will be mowing their lawns and walking their dogs.

But he's a hyperbaric welder dontcha know! The only one in the world whose job entails spending every day agreeing with Southend council on this website.

Also has a private pilots licence and shares an aircraft in Germany dontcha know!

Are you stalking me?

I only ask as you seem to keeping tracks on what I do, what I have achieved, making notes of my comments...

So what I don't like to see the seats used as a skate park, thats NOT what they were put in place for.

Stalking you? Sorry to be possibly disappointing but I have better things to do than to stalk you or anyone else if it comes to that.
The information I have quoted regarding your pilots licence and the fact that you share an aeroplane in Germany is only information that you have, without request, freely given. No rudeness given or malice intended

The main places i've seen people skate is in the derelict offices by southend vic station & outside the station.

1. If youre going to put a ridiculous vast space down the road from where people have skated for years are you not expecting it?

2. The layout is rubbish, ive been cut up so many times in the middle lane coming from the royals up to those traffic lights turning right. Gonna cause an accident one day. Also seen so many ambulances get stuck in that traffic cause people dont GET OUT OF THE WAY. (those ambulances are saving peoples lives and all anyone can do is moan about skateboarders "ruining" pavement - maybe they should spend the money telling people how to react when an ambulance comes down the road. Duh?)

3. When i was a teen 6 odd years ago, my only memories were getting drunk or hanging about in public spaces because there wasnt many places to go. So why would you not spend money on transforming the town so its more teenage friendly? Surely this would cut alot of problems as theres places to go/things to do?!

Ai ai ai, i cant be the only person who thinks logically instead of replacing roundabouts with traffic lights for jokes.

Broadwaywatch wrote:

Max Impact wrote:

Broadwaywatch wrote:

'V' wrote:

harry79 wrote:

Max Impact wrote: The yobs on skateboards should be treated the same as the arrogant bike riders in the High Street, catch them fine them. Should stop the dropouts soon enough, when they realise their drink, drugs and fag money is going.

Thats is correct just like Bradley Wiggins is part of the Hells Angels and Ryan Giggs is part of a violent football gang, you cant associate skaters with being yobs just because you dont agree with it, i can personally say that all the people in that picture have accomplished more than you will and could accomplish in your lifetime, enjoy you minimum wage job whilst you call people yobs just because one day you will be mowing their lawns and walking their dogs.

But he's a hyperbaric welder dontcha know! The only one in the world whose job entails spending every day agreeing with Southend council on this website.

Also has a private pilots licence and shares an aircraft in Germany dontcha know!

Are you stalking me?

I only ask as you seem to keeping tracks on what I do, what I have achieved, making notes of my comments...

So what I don't like to see the seats used as a skate park, thats NOT what they were put in place for.

Stalking you? Sorry to be possibly disappointing but I have better things to do than to stalk you or anyone else if it comes to that.
The information I have quoted regarding your pilots licence and the fact that you share an aeroplane in Germany is only information that you have, without request, freely given. No rudeness given or malice intended

http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=7YvAYIJSS
ZY

Get a grip! These guys are doing nothing wrong! I personally enjoy watching them whilst I spend half my day waiting for the traffic lights to change!
Some people need to get a life! Maybe take up a hobbie ...like skateboarding!!!!

Like so many other people have already said, the skaters don't use the benches, just the open flat space. We often watch them from the office and quite enjoy seeing what they do. They're not a nuisance and I think are making good use of a large waste of open concrete space.

Other than hating the new road system and wishing we could have the roundabout back, shouldn't the council be more concerned with finishing the job that was started! Half the road markings are incomplete and a few more signs might assist the poor motorists who are subjected to this monstrosity of a junction.

On the bright side, whilst having to sit at numerous sets of traffic lights within a couple hundred of yards, at least we are entertained by the skaters!

Surely the most important thing is how on earth could this 'square' have cost £7.5million ? What is it made of , gold ?

floorplan wrote:
The main places i've seen people skate is in the derelict offices by southend vic station & outside the station. 1. If youre going to put a ridiculous vast space down the road from where people have skated for years are you not expecting it? 2. The layout is rubbish, ive been cut up so many times in the middle lane coming from the royals up to those traffic lights turning right. Gonna cause an accident one day. Also seen so many ambulances get stuck in that traffic cause people dont GET OUT OF THE WAY. (those ambulances are saving peoples lives and all anyone can do is moan about skateboarders "ruining" pavement - maybe they should spend the money telling people how to react when an ambulance comes down the road. Duh?) 3. When i was a teen 6 odd years ago, my only memories were getting drunk or hanging about in public spaces because there wasnt many places to go. So why would you not spend money on transforming the town so its more teenage friendly? Surely this would cut alot of problems as theres places to go/things to do?! Ai ai ai, i cant be the only person who thinks logically instead of replacing roundabouts with traffic lights for jokes.

Write to the highways agency. I did and got an email back saying all was fine and traffic flows freely.

Coincidence that there is a queue of traffic in the photo? Not really as there is always a queue and I always have to wait for 2 sets of light to change, normally 3.

Has anyone else started to cut through town round the back of York Road or even up pier Hill?

Skateboarders are the least of our worries. Change the sequence of the traffic lights so lights are green for those waiting and red for invisible cars coming from Victoria Avenue and London Road East (Sainsburys).

I wouldn't even notice the skateboarders were it not for the fact I spend half my life (slight exaggeration) waiting at the stupid lights.

Cuckoo corner has worked (traffic flows freely now) but, as far as I can see, the roundabout we had at the top of Victoria avenue was better for everyone.

I'm 17 years old and I will admit to skating in this area!
The reason why we skate there is because there is a lack of good places to skate in Southend.
Most skaters will tell you that Chalkwell is a silly excuse of a place to skate and Leigh is too far out for those not willing to travel!

Give us a place to skate and there will be less skaters in public areas.
And anyway, skaters should be the least of the councils problems, hasn't anyone seen the amount of homeless or drug addicts wandering Southend high street!?

Forkz wrote:
I'm 17 years old and I will admit to skating in this area! The reason why we skate there is because there is a lack of good places to skate in Southend. Most skaters will tell you that Chalkwell is a silly excuse of a place to skate and Leigh is too far out for those not willing to travel! Give us a place to skate and there will be less skaters in public areas. And anyway, skaters should be the least of the councils problems, hasn't anyone seen the amount of homeless or drug addicts wandering Southend high street!?

Most of them are riding skateboards.

In all honesty though, what did the council and the designers think it would be used for?! It's a total waste of space and quite dangerous if you ask me, the definition between road and pavement is ridiculous! And the traffic situation hasn't even improved enough to warrant a £7.5 million spend!
And if they are worrying about what strangers see when they "enter" the town from there, perhaps they should turn their attention to the beautiful tower blocks and trendy plaza/car park!

Max Impact wrote:

Forkz wrote:
I'm 17 years old and I will admit to skating in this area! The reason why we skate there is because there is a lack of good places to skate in Southend. Most skaters will tell you that Chalkwell is a silly excuse of a place to skate and Leigh is too far out for those not willing to travel! Give us a place to skate and there will be less skaters in public areas. And anyway, skaters should be the least of the councils problems, hasn't anyone seen the amount of homeless or drug addicts wandering Southend high street!?

Most of them are riding skateboards.

@maximpact I think you'll find most of them are pushing prams rather than skateboards.

Do you have something against skateboarding ?

Max Impact wrote:

Richy don't shine shoes no more wrote:

Max Impact wrote:
The yobs on skateboards should be treated the same as the arrogant bike riders in the High Street, catch them fine them. Should stop the dropouts soon enough, when they realise their drink, drugs and fag money is going.

Skateboarders and the Southend dropouts are two very different groups of people

How about calling them vandals then, as thier willful actions are causing damage to the area. With them knowing this and continuing to partake in thier actions should they be arrested and charged.

Yes they should. As should motorists who's tyres are wearing our roads. And as for backsides on seats in trains, well, don't start me off about that.
I remember many years ago, in Harlow new town I think it was, they did not lay footpaths until they saw where people walked. Then all the paths were where people wanted them. If this council mixed with the community they purport to control, perhaps they would have more idea. Malta have an area like this, it's where the serfs can go and "Rah Rah" their chiefs. Is that what the Tories have in mind?

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VIC CIRCUS ROUNDABOUT, I SIMPLY CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE RESIDENTS OF THIS TOWN DO NOT LIKE THIS CLEAN MINIMALIST AREA. IT GIVES NICE OPEN VISTA ACROSS THE ENTRANCE TO THE TOWN. I DO, HOWEVER AGREE THAT IT COULD DO WITH A FOUNTAIN IN THE CENTRE, BUT THE STATUE DOES LOOK VERY GOOD!! THERE SHOULD NOT BE SKATEBOARDERS THERE, THEY SPOIL THE ENTIRE AREA, WHY CAN'T THEY SKATE NEAR THE SEA, & INTO IT!!

shintap wrote:

Max Impact wrote:

Forkz wrote: I'm 17 years old and I will admit to skating in this area! The reason why we skate there is because there is a lack of good places to skate in Southend. Most skaters will tell you that Chalkwell is a silly excuse of a place to skate and Leigh is too far out for those not willing to travel! Give us a place to skate and there will be less skaters in public areas. And anyway, skaters should be the least of the councils problems, hasn't anyone seen the amount of homeless or drug addicts wandering Southend high street!?

Most of them are riding skateboards.

@maximpact I think you'll find most of them are pushing prams rather than skateboards. Do you have something against skateboarding ?

Yep I do have a problem with skateboarding.

My Gran was knocked over by one, thankfully he also fell but he started to blame my Gran for getting in his way, he hit her from behind so how would my Gran have known he was riding up behind her.

Max Impact wrote:

shintap wrote:

Max Impact wrote:

Forkz wrote: I'm 17 years old and I will admit to skating in this area! The reason why we skate there is because there is a lack of good places to skate in Southend. Most skaters will tell you that Chalkwell is a silly excuse of a place to skate and Leigh is too far out for those not willing to travel! Give us a place to skate and there will be less skaters in public areas. And anyway, skaters should be the least of the councils problems, hasn't anyone seen the amount of homeless or drug addicts wandering Southend high street!?

Most of them are riding skateboards.

@maximpact I think you'll find most of them are pushing prams rather than skateboards. Do you have something against skateboarding ?

Yep I do have a problem with skateboarding.

My Gran was knocked over by one, thankfully he also fell but he started to blame my Gran for getting in his way, he hit her from behind so how would my Gran have known he was riding up behind her.

ignore max.. he has an make believe anecdote for every occasion.

his granny probably disowned him when she realised he was a Tory.

she loves to skate!. she probably grinds all over his sports car and wall plants off his face.. cue Benny hill music!

Max Impact wrote:

shintap wrote:

Max Impact wrote:

Forkz wrote: I'm 17 years old and I will admit to skating in this area! The reason why we skate there is because there is a lack of good places to skate in Southend. Most skaters will tell you that Chalkwell is a silly excuse of a place to skate and Leigh is too far out for those not willing to travel! Give us a place to skate and there will be less skaters in public areas. And anyway, skaters should be the least of the councils problems, hasn't anyone seen the amount of homeless or drug addicts wandering Southend high street!?

Most of them are riding skateboards.

@maximpact I think you'll find most of them are pushing prams rather than skateboards. Do you have something against skateboarding ?

Yep I do have a problem with skateboarding.

My Gran was knocked over by one, thankfully he also fell but he started to blame my Gran for getting in his way, he hit her from behind so how would my Gran have known he was riding up behind her.

haha i dunno how old you are but you sound kind of pathetic... everyone knows thats a lie and if you're trying to "troll" or whatever go somewhere other than the echo newspaper haha XD

Skateboarding is big business, and the people that skateboard are at the age where they have a reasonable disposable income. We should be encouraging them into the town and holding events for them.

Glad some active youth life is going on in this ugly vast expanse of sterile £7.5m wilderness of pure nothingness.Keep on skating!

reptile wrote:
The worse thing about being a skateboarder is having to tell your mum and dad your gay.

oh, I not know that....in the photo they look normal from a distance but wait...no girls in the picture....I see what you mean....ha ha.....leave them alone, unless they cause damage or injury they should pay the consequences. Enjoy the summer, boys!

alexskate wrote:
im a skateboarder and i skate there regularly and all we do is use the flatground causing no damage to anything so i dont see the problem? if its that much of an issue why dont the council spend a few grand making a skatepark for us like we asked instead of spending millions on a bit of concrete...

Most of the skateboarders travel into Southend on the train. Going past skateparks. So the council has spent money for the skateboarders you choose not to use them.

Max Impact wrote:

shintap wrote:

Max Impact wrote:

Forkz wrote: I'm 17 years old and I will admit to skating in this area! The reason why we skate there is because there is a lack of good places to skate in Southend. Most skaters will tell you that Chalkwell is a silly excuse of a place to skate and Leigh is too far out for those not willing to travel! Give us a place to skate and there will be less skaters in public areas. And anyway, skaters should be the least of the councils problems, hasn't anyone seen the amount of homeless or drug addicts wandering Southend high street!?

Most of them are riding skateboards.

@maximpact I think you'll find most of them are pushing prams rather than skateboards. Do you have something against skateboarding ?

Yep I do have a problem with skateboarding.

My Gran was knocked over by one, thankfully he also fell but he started to blame my Gran for getting in his way, he hit her from behind so how would my Gran have known he was riding up behind her.

I understand why you might have some angst against skateboarders but please do not tar all of us with the same brush, as you have had one bad experience. Its a little narrow minded.

I think youll find the majority of skateboaders are responsible people who are pretty easy going.

shoebury52 wrote:

alexskate wrote:
im a skateboarder and i skate there regularly and all we do is use the flatground causing no damage to anything so i dont see the problem? if its that much of an issue why dont the council spend a few grand making a skatepark for us like we asked instead of spending millions on a bit of concrete...

Most of the skateboarders travel into Southend on the train. Going past skateparks. So the council has spent money for the skateboarders you choose not to use them.

The reason they are not being used is because the end users were not consulted during the design process. So what we end up with is a unusable, and uninspiring designs.

I have been on many of the committees and meetings during planing and proposals of these skateparks, and largely the outcome is often the same. No thought for the end user, and a box ticked for a council project manager. The exception is the Rayleigh Park where the council were fantastic and worked with the local youth and users to produce somethig really good.

shintap wrote:

shoebury52 wrote:

alexskate wrote:
im a skateboarder and i skate there regularly and all we do is use the flatground causing no damage to anything so i dont see the problem? if its that much of an issue why dont the council spend a few grand making a skatepark for us like we asked instead of spending millions on a bit of concrete...

Most of the skateboarders travel into Southend on the train. Going past skateparks. So the council has spent money for the skateboarders you choose not to use them.

The reason they are not being used is because the end users were not consulted during the design process. So what we end up with is a unusable, and uninspiring designs.

I have been on many of the committees and meetings during planing and proposals of these skateparks, and largely the outcome is often the same. No thought for the end user, and a box ticked for a council project manager. The exception is the Rayleigh Park where the council were fantastic and worked with the local youth and users to produce somethig really good.

So do you hang around with this group in Southend then?

shoebury52 wrote:

shintap wrote:

shoebury52 wrote:

alexskate wrote:
im a skateboarder and i skate there regularly and all we do is use the flatground causing no damage to anything so i dont see the problem? if its that much of an issue why dont the council spend a few grand making a skatepark for us like we asked instead of spending millions on a bit of concrete...

Most of the skateboarders travel into Southend on the train. Going past skateparks. So the council has spent money for the skateboarders you choose not to use them.

The reason they are not being used is because the end users were not consulted during the design process. So what we end up with is a unusable, and uninspiring designs.

I have been on many of the committees and meetings during planing and proposals of these skateparks, and largely the outcome is often the same. No thought for the end user, and a box ticked for a council project manager. The exception is the Rayleigh Park where the council were fantastic and worked with the local youth and users to produce somethig really good.

So do you hang around with this group in Southend then?

From the photo its pretty difficult to tell who they are.

shintap wrote:

Max Impact wrote:

shintap wrote:

Max Impact wrote:

Forkz wrote: I'm 17 years old and I will admit to skating in this area! The reason why we skate there is because there is a lack of good places to skate in Southend. Most skaters will tell you that Chalkwell is a silly excuse of a place to skate and Leigh is too far out for those not willing to travel! Give us a place to skate and there will be less skaters in public areas. And anyway, skaters should be the least of the councils problems, hasn't anyone seen the amount of homeless or drug addicts wandering Southend high street!?

Most of them are riding skateboards.

@maximpact I think you'll find most of them are pushing prams rather than skateboards. Do you have something against skateboarding ?

Yep I do have a problem with skateboarding. My Gran was knocked over by one, thankfully he also fell but he started to blame my Gran for getting in his way, he hit her from behind so how would my Gran have known he was riding up behind her.

I understand why you might have some angst against skateboarders but please do not tar all of us with the same brush, as you have had one bad experience. Its a little narrow minded. I think youll find the majority of skateboaders are responsible people who are pretty easy going.

I agree, at least these kids are doing something rather than just hanging around getting up to mischief. Shame Southend and other boroughs don't install more skateparks but they don't seem interested in what young teenagers want, could this be because most are under 18 so they can't vote yet?

why are the skateboarders being picked on? no-one is being inconvenienced. the space would be completely redundant if they weren't there. and if it really is that much of a nuisance, which it isn',give them a town centre skate park. could free up some space by levelling the junky ghettos further down queensway and coleman street. now there's a win-win.

shintap wrote:

shoebury52 wrote:

shintap wrote:

shoebury52 wrote:

alexskate wrote:
im a skateboarder and i skate there regularly and all we do is use the flatground causing no damage to anything so i dont see the problem? if its that much of an issue why dont the council spend a few grand making a skatepark for us like we asked instead of spending millions on a bit of concrete...

Most of the skateboarders travel into Southend on the train. Going past skateparks. So the council has spent money for the skateboarders you choose not to use them.

The reason they are not being used is because the end users were not consulted during the design process. So what we end up with is a unusable, and uninspiring designs.

I have been on many of the committees and meetings during planing and proposals of these skateparks, and largely the outcome is often the same. No thought for the end user, and a box ticked for a council project manager. The exception is the Rayleigh Park where the council were fantastic and worked with the local youth and users to produce somethig really good.

So do you hang around with this group in Southend then?

From the photo its pretty difficult to tell who they are.

I meant do you hang around with the skateboard group in town and use the name shin?

shintap wrote:

shoebury52 wrote:

alexskate wrote:
im a skateboarder and i skate there regularly and all we do is use the flatground causing no damage to anything so i dont see the problem? if its that much of an issue why dont the council spend a few grand making a skatepark for us like we asked instead of spending millions on a bit of concrete...

Most of the skateboarders travel into Southend on the train. Going past skateparks. So the council has spent money for the skateboarders you choose not to use them.

The reason they are not being used is because the end users were not consulted during the design process. So what we end up with is a unusable, and uninspiring designs.

I have been on many of the committees and meetings during planing and proposals of these skateparks, and largely the outcome is often the same. No thought for the end user, and a box ticked for a council project manager. The exception is the Rayleigh Park where the council were fantastic and worked with the local youth and users to produce somethig really good.

Southend council are good at that. They failed to consult drivers or pedestrians when building the Vic Circus wind tunnel, the failed to consult drivers and cyclists when building the seafront cycle paths and Sh!tty Beach.

How dare they accuse the skaters off ruining the pavements ,give them somewhere to go locally there is enough derelict places to do this,they are decent kids .

How dare they accuse the skaters off ruining the pavements ,give them somewhere to go locally there is enough derelict places to do this,they are decent kids .

Hear hear Tom, I totally agree. Keep on skating guys, have some fun & allow some folk some entertainment whilst sitting in front of red traffic lights and concrete for ages.
Bring on a couple of buskers as well to brighten up this sterile junction & add some pleasant vibrancy !

shoebury52 wrote:

alexskate wrote:
im a skateboarder and i skate there regularly and all we do is use the flatground causing no damage to anything so i dont see the problem? if its that much of an issue why dont the council spend a few grand making a skatepark for us like we asked instead of spending millions on a bit of concrete...

Most of the skateboarders travel into Southend on the train. Going past skateparks. So the council has spent money for the skateboarders you choose not to use them.

what? most skaters that skate southend live either in southend, or where i come from, which is around rochford and there are no skateparks anywhere between rochford and southend... and the other skateparks arent even worth the travelling anyway like i said before, weve already spent money on the train to go into southend so why would we spend more money to go to some skateparks that are pointless anyway... theres two main types of skating, street and transition. the skaters who skate on this flat area are street skaters and the only parks around the area are transition parks... we dont enjoy the parks, which is why we use the areas that we do :)

alexskate wrote:

shoebury52 wrote:

alexskate wrote:
im a skateboarder and i skate there regularly and all we do is use the flatground causing no damage to anything so i dont see the problem? if its that much of an issue why dont the council spend a few grand making a skatepark for us like we asked instead of spending millions on a bit of concrete...

Most of the skateboarders travel into Southend on the train. Going past skateparks. So the council has spent money for the skateboarders you choose not to use them.

what? most skaters that skate southend live either in southend, or where i come from, which is around rochford and there are no skateparks anywhere between rochford and southend... and the other skateparks arent even worth the travelling anyway like i said before, weve already spent money on the train to go into southend so why would we spend more money to go to some skateparks that are pointless anyway... theres two main types of skating, street and transition. the skaters who skate on this flat area are street skaters and the only parks around the area are transition parks... we dont enjoy the parks, which is why we use the areas that we do :)

Ok fair enough Alex, just enquiring are you then off this group or the group wo hang around the other side of the alley way at top of town and slide hill? How old are? Where would be a. Good place you think for a skate park southchurch park area?

This is rubbish with the normal Southend area left wing activists using anything to slag off the Council about anything involving the improvement of the area and the Tory party (who deserve slagging off)

Perhaps we possibly need to consider greater things happening in the world which might lead to conscription into the armed forces of those same young skateboarders with the growing Armagedon situation in the middle East with Syria killing anyone that complains about anything and on the verge of using chemical weapons which will bring the USA and us into the conflict and Israel about to do a strike on Irans Nuclear facility.



Worrying about a few kids having fun seems a bit meaningless..

Typical agism from the Echo's key demographic of bitter Luddites.
You're all suffocating this town and should be thoroughly ashamed of yourselves.

shoebury52 wrote:

alexskate wrote:

shoebury52 wrote:

alexskate wrote:
im a skateboarder and i skate there regularly and all we do is use the flatground causing no damage to anything so i dont see the problem? if its that much of an issue why dont the council spend a few grand making a skatepark for us like we asked instead of spending millions on a bit of concrete...

Most of the skateboarders travel into Southend on the train. Going past skateparks. So the council has spent money for the skateboarders you choose not to use them.

what? most skaters that skate southend live either in southend, or where i come from, which is around rochford and there are no skateparks anywhere between rochford and southend... and the other skateparks arent even worth the travelling anyway like i said before, weve already spent money on the train to go into southend so why would we spend more money to go to some skateparks that are pointless anyway... theres two main types of skating, street and transition. the skaters who skate on this flat area are street skaters and the only parks around the area are transition parks... we dont enjoy the parks, which is why we use the areas that we do :)

Ok fair enough Alex, just enquiring are you then off this group or the group wo hang around the other side of the alley way at top of town and slide hill? How old are? Where would be a. Good place you think for a skate park southchurch park area?

no the people who have skateboards who hang around at the top of town by the odeon are the posers and im not a part of that group at all... and slide hill is used by longboarders mainly. and im 16 xD i think anywhere in southend that is easily accessible and not far from the main town area would be a good place, such as the old b and q like we asked, but thats now been bought by tesco apparently so thats out of the picture...

There is a problem with some of these crowds it is with lads who are 16 and over trying to get off with gals who hang around with them who are 14. The Tesco bid for that site got rejected. We need somewhere out of the way not close to the town centre. Closer to town centre the more supposedly valuable the land is. So maybe somewhere on convey be good lol joking

There is a problem with some of these crowds it is with lads who are 16 and over trying to get off with gals who hang around with them who are 14. The Tesco bid for that site got rejected. We need somewhere out of the way not close to the town centre. Closer to town centre the more supposedly valuable the land is. So maybe somewhere on canvey be good lol joking

there is plenty of space in priory park

shoebury52 wrote:
There is a problem with some of these crowds it is with lads who are 16 and over trying to get off with gals who hang around with them who are 14. The Tesco bid for that site got rejected. We need somewhere out of the way not close to the town centre. Closer to town centre the more supposedly valuable the land is. So maybe somewhere on canvey be good lol joking

whats that got to do with skating haha? but yeah those are the posers you're talking about who do that... and theres also an old vauxhall garage we used to skate in down milton road not too far from the cliffs pavillion and im pretty sure its 'to let' at the moment so maybe that could be an option i dunno

beyond the valley of the asbos wrote:
there is plenty of space in priory park

i guess but its kind of a dodgy area when it gets later from my experiences anyway haha... and any skate parks built in existing parks always seem to attract young kids on scooters and it can be quite dangerous with them flying around so i think if a skate park was to be built it would be better to stay away from actual parks :)

So as well as Victoria Gateway the skateboarders are also causing damage at City Beach, what a fine bunch of yoofs they are.

Why not grind on your own garden walls? or will mummy and this weeks daddy not permit it?

How about the site along the seafront which was going to be used for a hotel that's sat empty for years now. skatepark and other things could be build there for the youth of today. That way everyone's happy and we get an ugly blight on the seafront transformed.

alexskate wrote:

shoebury52 wrote:
There is a problem with some of these crowds it is with lads who are 16 and over trying to get off with gals who hang around with them who are 14. The Tesco bid for that site got rejected. We need somewhere out of the way not close to the town centre. Closer to town centre the more supposedly valuable the land is. So maybe somewhere on canvey be good lol joking

whats that got to do with skating haha? but yeah those are the posers you're talking about who do that... and theres also an old vauxhall garage we used to skate in down milton road not too far from the cliffs pavillion and im pretty sure its 'to let' at the moment so maybe that could be an option i dunno

It is rife in the skating crowd in town

How about this thought:

Instead of expecting the council to do everything for you why not get together and buy/rent a building and fit it out how you want.

That way you get what you want, how you want, you run it how you want, and charge what you want...

Plenty of empty buildings to choose from, or is it a chase of expecting all the work and out lay to be done for you, and not wanting to risk your own money in to a project.

Set up a fund, where details are kept of who donated what, as if donations fail to meet what is required than it can be given back and nobody looses out, signatories must be vetted anyone with a criminal record is forbidden access to the account, a small group is elected as the steering committee, these people would do all the leg work, such as finding a location, getting planning and any change of use passed, arrange the construction of the park, set the rules to club adhere to, membership arrangements and so on.

By having such a set up it will give those who are brave enough to step forward as figureheads a real goal to set their minds too to achieve.

Only a thought...

Max Impact wrote:
So as well as Victoria Gateway the skateboarders are also causing damage at City Beach, what a fine bunch of yoofs they are.

Why not grind on your own garden walls? or will mummy and this weeks daddy not permit it?

Max Impact what a vile nasty mind you seem to possess. I make a point of not being rude on here but on this occasion possibly I shall make a hint of being so. Max Impact you profess to be a welder therefore might I politly suggest that if you can’t say something decent then you weld your mouth shut.

Max Impact wrote:
How about this thought:

Instead of expecting the council to do everything for you why not get together and buy/rent a building and fit it out how you want.

That way you get what you want, how you want, you run it how you want, and charge what you want...

Plenty of empty buildings to choose from, or is it a chase of expecting all the work and out lay to be done for you, and not wanting to risk your own money in to a project.

Set up a fund, where details are kept of who donated what, as if donations fail to meet what is required than it can be given back and nobody looses out, signatories must be vetted anyone with a criminal record is forbidden access to the account, a small group is elected as the steering committee, these people would do all the leg work, such as finding a location, getting planning and any change of use passed, arrange the construction of the park, set the rules to club adhere to, membership arrangements and so on.

By having such a set up it will give those who are brave enough to step forward as figureheads a real goal to set their minds too to achieve.

Only a thought...

so you get your £7.5mio white elephant excrescence courtesy of the taxpayer but the poor skate boarders can't get 75k for a skate park. is it any wonder the tories are loathed by so many in southend.

The yobs on skateboards!

I use this area regularly, I think it's great that this vast concrete space is being used, and by these lads, it brings a bit of life to it too. Better for them than the nearby library carpark area.

Max Impact wrote:
How about this thought:

Instead of expecting the council to do everything for you why not get together and buy/rent a building and fit it out how you want.

That way you get what you want, how you want, you run it how you want, and charge what you want...

Plenty of empty buildings to choose from, or is it a chase of expecting all the work and out lay to be done for you, and not wanting to risk your own money in to a project.

Set up a fund, where details are kept of who donated what, as if donations fail to meet what is required than it can be given back and nobody looses out, signatories must be vetted anyone with a criminal record is forbidden access to the account, a small group is elected as the steering committee, these people would do all the leg work, such as finding a location, getting planning and any change of use passed, arrange the construction of the park, set the rules to club adhere to, membership arrangements and so on.

By having such a set up it will give those who are brave enough to step forward as figureheads a real goal to set their minds too to achieve.

Only a thought...

here is a thought max..

why don't the council ask private sector business to pay for and build things like

concrete expanse outside Victoria station.

sharp shingle beaches highlighted by overbearing (some broken) lights adjacent to roads with no curb.

ill thought out, badly constructed cafes in public parks.

..........

because the private sector would not pay for such projects because they would not waste money on bent projects where millions of pounds are at stake..

why don't the council build something that the people of Southend actually ask for or need?

where is the fun or the brown envelope in that...

Southend Tories using your money for there ideas and betterment since the day people lost the ability to think and vote at the same time...

Great to see idiots like Max Impact being made to look foolish and congrats to the well written posts by skaters.

Its amazing nothing changes, used to skate a lot about 20 years ago and it was the same narrow minded comments, skaters are doing something positive, being healthy, being sociable and even entertaining people who care to watch but muppets like Max Impact would prefer they stopped it and perhaps spend their days at home on the sofa or maybe take drugs and turn to crime ?

If councils will buil;d concrete jungles that people hate and are perfect for skating what do they expect ?

And as for the calls for them to be rounded up/fined/arrested can someone point out under what law ?...and dont say criminal damage, that would be laughed out of court.

As many have pointed out its only the skaters who liven up a horrible drab grety bit of concrete, its like the South bank Festival hall, a horrible area but perfect for skating.

Perhaps the council/police should spend time trying to erradicate the real problems in this town ..and no..it is not skaters or even cyclists for that matter.

jantone wrote:
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VIC CIRCUS ROUNDABOUT, I SIMPLY CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE RESIDENTS OF THIS TOWN DO NOT LIKE THIS CLEAN MINIMALIST AREA. IT GIVES NICE OPEN VISTA ACROSS THE ENTRANCE TO THE TOWN. I DO, HOWEVER AGREE THAT IT COULD DO WITH A FOUNTAIN IN THE CENTRE, BUT THE STATUE DOES LOOK VERY GOOD!! THERE SHOULD NOT BE SKATEBOARDERS THERE, THEY SPOIL THE ENTIRE AREA, WHY CAN'T THEY SKATE NEAR THE SEA, & INTO IT!!

Care to tell us why there should not be skateboarders there ?. A good reason or just rubbish that comes out of your mouth.

Max Impact wrote:

shintap wrote:

Max Impact wrote:

Forkz wrote: I'm 17 years old and I will admit to skating in this area! The reason why we skate there is because there is a lack of good places to skate in Southend. Most skaters will tell you that Chalkwell is a silly excuse of a place to skate and Leigh is too far out for those not willing to travel! Give us a place to skate and there will be less skaters in public areas. And anyway, skaters should be the least of the councils problems, hasn't anyone seen the amount of homeless or drug addicts wandering Southend high street!?

Most of them are riding skateboards.

@maximpact I think you'll find most of them are pushing prams rather than skateboards. Do you have something against skateboarding ?

Yep I do have a problem with skateboarding.

My Gran was knocked over by one, thankfully he also fell but he started to blame my Gran for getting in his way, he hit her from behind so how would my Gran have known he was riding up behind her.

Utter crap !

Max Impact wrote:
So as well as Victoria Gateway the skateboarders are also causing damage at City Beach, what a fine bunch of yoofs they are.

Why not grind on your own garden walls? or will mummy and this weeks daddy not permit it?

Your posts are becoming increasingly pathetic and show that you have some sort of problem, jealousy perhaps, tell us what you do in your spare time ?

If I were you I would get up off your bottom, get some shoes on, pick up 50p and walk to your local paper shop and buy the Echo as the story about skateboarders damaging street furniture at City Beach is in there.

Am I jealous of them...

No not in any way shape of form, I have a loving wife & family, a very good job, a home that is fully paid for, and a car not a skateboard.

In my spare time its family, car restoration, meeting mates, kayaking, ironman just about anything but making a nuisance of myself.

Why what do you do, oh and before you ask how I can post throughout the day, Samsung Galaxy 3s and an ipad world wide internet conection.

my son is a regular skater on this spot and i encourage him to do so. when he has hung around parks and other quiet areas he has been threatened by nasty ferrall louts who have nothing better to do than bully hard working polite children. my son and his friends are all top students, do not smoke or drink and do not engage in criminal activity. there is damage all over the town caused by pedestrians cyclists horse riders motorists motor cyclists jet skiers it is an unfortunate side effect of having fun and keeping fit. and as for the chavvy yob comments he is from a married family who have all worked full time since they were 18 and contributed to our community in a positive way. thank you good night

Max Impact wrote:
So as well as Victoria Gateway the skateboarders are also causing damage at City Beach, what a fine bunch of yoofs they are.

Why not grind on your own garden walls? or will mummy and this weeks daddy not permit it?

well i live in a nice area and i dont have "garden walls" just acres of land for a back garden :) but my dad has built me a grind box and a half pipe so i use them whenever i want to skate, and both of my parents encourage skating so yeah they dont really mind :)

Max Impact wrote:
How about this thought:

Instead of expecting the council to do everything for you why not get together and buy/rent a building and fit it out how you want.

That way you get what you want, how you want, you run it how you want, and charge what you want...

Plenty of empty buildings to choose from, or is it a chase of expecting all the work and out lay to be done for you, and not wanting to risk your own money in to a project.

Set up a fund, where details are kept of who donated what, as if donations fail to meet what is required than it can be given back and nobody looses out, signatories must be vetted anyone with a criminal record is forbidden access to the account, a small group is elected as the steering committee, these people would do all the leg work, such as finding a location, getting planning and any change of use passed, arrange the construction of the park, set the rules to club adhere to, membership arrangements and so on.

By having such a set up it will give those who are brave enough to step forward as figureheads a real goal to set their minds too to achieve.

Only a thought...

how about this thought:

stop trying to act like you're right about anything because you don't seem to have a clue about what is actually going on.

we weren't the ones who were complaining about what we don't have in the first place, that's why we use the places described in this article.

we're only around 16 - 17, not really enough to rent out a building or buy one and build our own skatepark and we dont expect the council to do anything for us, all they seem to do is complain about what we do... if they arent going to give us anything then don't complain when we use what we do have...

only a thought...

shoebury52 wrote:
How about the site along the seafront which was going to be used for a hotel that's sat empty for years now. skatepark and other things could be build there for the youth of today. That way everyone's happy and we get an ugly blight on the seafront transformed.

oh yeah that's a good idea actually quite a lot of land there too :) sounds pretty perfect haha if only the council were aware or willing to help xD

Max Impact wrote:
So as well as Victoria Gateway the skateboarders are also causing damage at City Beach, what a fine bunch of yoofs they are.

Why not grind on your own garden walls? or will mummy and this weeks daddy not permit it?

yeah i skate and i can tell from your way of commenting, as a child your mum didn't really love you enough to give you a proper upbringing, and your Gran , she probably sold crack and imagined it, and now your father you only say these things about skaters because you had a different man in the house each week, so stop now your just embarrassing your self and your family

Max Impact wrote:
If I were you I would get up off your bottom, get some shoes on, pick up 50p and walk to your local paper shop and buy the Echo as the story about skateboarders damaging street furniture at City Beach is in there.

Am I jealous of them...

No not in any way shape of form, I have a loving wife & family, a very good job, a home that is fully paid for, and a car not a skateboard.

In my spare time its family, car restoration, meeting mates, kayaking, ironman just about anything but making a nuisance of myself.

Why what do you do, oh and before you ask how I can post throughout the day, Samsung Galaxy 3s and an ipad world wide internet conection.

oh a samsung i have an iphone and i skate seems i have more money than you and why do you want worldwide internet all you do is cut grass and talk about how your better than everyone else with a fake iphone and who did you steal the iphone from?

Max Impact wrote:
If I were you I would get up off your bottom, get some shoes on, pick up 50p and walk to your local paper shop and buy the Echo as the story about skateboarders damaging street furniture at City Beach is in there.

Am I jealous of them...

No not in any way shape of form, I have a loving wife & family, a very good job, a home that is fully paid for, and a car not a skateboard.

In my spare time its family, car restoration, meeting mates, kayaking, ironman just about anything but making a nuisance of myself.

Why what do you do, oh and before you ask how I can post throughout the day, Samsung Galaxy 3s and an ipad world wide internet conection.

You forgot flying. How on earth did you forget such an important thing like that? If like you, I had a private pilots licence and shared a plane in Germany I think that would be on the top of my list. Mind you a very expensive hobby. Still you seem to have a very full life Max, good for you; thats what life is for,,,,the like of which for the skateboarders are doing.

"It's OK for people to have fun and enjoy themselves, but not in the middle of a public area"

I completely agree, having fun in public should be punishable by death...

Back to work today and I have email alerts sent to my work address when there's a new comment. I now have a very full inbox...

I can't abide by the argument that 'at least they're not doing drugs, drinking themselves unconscious or mugging old ladies' or things upon those lines which has been mentioned a few times. Firstly, that's hardly a positive that they should get a pat on the back for, it's an expectation of us all, and secondly I don't think that these unsocial/illegal activities and skaters necessarily 100% mutually exclusive.

Broadwaywatch wrote:

Max Impact wrote: If I were you I would get up off your bottom, get some shoes on, pick up 50p and walk to your local paper shop and buy the Echo as the story about skateboarders damaging street furniture at City Beach is in there. Am I jealous of them... No not in any way shape of form, I have a loving wife & family, a very good job, a home that is fully paid for, and a car not a skateboard. In my spare time its family, car restoration, meeting mates, kayaking, ironman just about anything but making a nuisance of myself. Why what do you do, oh and before you ask how I can post throughout the day, Samsung Galaxy 3s and an ipad world wide internet conection.

You forgot flying. How on earth did you forget such an important thing like that? If like you, I had a private pilots licence and shared a plane in Germany I think that would be on the top of my list. Mind you a very expensive hobby. Still you seem to have a very full life Max, good for you; thats what life is for,,,,the like of which for the skateboarders are doing.

Not got the share in the aircraft anymore, not after what I discoverd the others in the group had been doing.

The share scheme means we all pay the same amount in to the kitty each month for the upkeep of the aircraft, however they had sub divided their shares between others and not told me, so I was paying more than they were, I only found out when I went to take the aircraft up and found some stranger taking it out.

What a shame the new engine that was orderd is in my name and coming to my home address.

davidagough wrote:
Public space by definition is for everyone. Question not what the skateboarders are doing but those with the power to expend 7.5million on what is seemingly an exclusive place.

Its not exclusive its just most of us don't want to go there because it was badly thought out to start with. The skateboarders are welcome to it !

This is surely one of this Tory-led Council's worst decisions for central Southend. It is my view that the Cabinet should consider it's position on this catastophic planning error! Victoria Gateway is an ugly, bleak and frightening space for many. For the senior residents, you may as well dig a moat round it, because they would rather take a free bus to Chelmsford City to shop, or even better, Colchester.

maximpact=bent wrote:

Max Impact wrote:
If I were you I would get up off your bottom, get some shoes on, pick up 50p and walk to your local paper shop and buy the Echo as the story about skateboarders damaging street furniture at City Beach is in there.

Am I jealous of them...

No not in any way shape of form, I have a loving wife & family, a very good job, a home that is fully paid for, and a car not a skateboard.

In my spare time its family, car restoration, meeting mates, kayaking, ironman just about anything but making a nuisance of myself.

Why what do you do, oh and before you ask how I can post throughout the day, Samsung Galaxy 3s and an ipad world wide internet conection.

oh a samsung i have an iphone and i skate seems i have more money than you and why do you want worldwide internet all you do is cut grass and talk about how your better than everyone else with a fake iphone and who did you steal the iphone from?

Any why are skaters 'making a nuisance' ?. Care to expand on that ?

They are just carrying out their hobbies the same as you do, yes, there may be some minimal marks left on concrete, etc..which im pretty sure 99% of people dont even notice.

Your comments on here make you appear to be an old, out of touch miserable git, why not just let skaters enjoy themswelves, do they really bother you ?. You certainly have a bee in your bonnet about them. Perhaps you were bullied at school.

Andy

shoebury52 wrote:

alexskate wrote:

shoebury52 wrote:
There is a problem with some of these crowds it is with lads who are 16 and over trying to get off with gals who hang around with them who are 14. The Tesco bid for that site got rejected. We need somewhere out of the way not close to the town centre. Closer to town centre the more supposedly valuable the land is. So maybe somewhere on canvey be good lol joking

whats that got to do with skating haha? but yeah those are the posers you're talking about who do that... and theres also an old vauxhall garage we used to skate in down milton road not too far from the cliffs pavillion and im pretty sure its 'to let' at the moment so maybe that could be an option i dunno

It is rife in the skating crowd in town

Youths are barely wrecking the new walk way at all, If the borough council hadn't rejected plans to turn that eye sore derelict B&Q building into a skatepark then the youths wouldn't have to resort to skating on this area. Yes there are skateparks around the borough but these kids clearly arn't old enough to drive or can't afford the train fare. Instead of moaning to the council and newspapers, why can't you propose a alternative for these kids? Can the council not apply for a lottery grant to put something useful for teens in the area?

Max Impact wrote:
Was it not the skateboarding menaces that wrecked the original seating in the High Street by grinding across them... YES it was, they have a skate park at Leigh, if they are bored why not do charity work, it will help deliver a work ethic in to them.

unlike you who immediately labels every youngster , i am not gonna label every one over the age of 50 as a boring old person who hates everything and thinks everyone in their teens is constantly on drugs, drinking and mugging someone, But this article only has quotes from a 55 and 65 year old... they should have interviewed someone younger who skates so they could tell you Leigh skatepark is full off cracks and holes which if you have small wheels can cause problems (s'why bmx is better). and to show that the bland slab of land outside victoria station is in better condition that something that should be glass smooth just shows kids get the leftovers of a budget (granted i know liegh skatepark was expensive) but compared to the budget to 're-vamp' one raoundabout into a terrible junction seems like the council sorta got mugged off really...

maximpact=bent wrote:

Max Impact wrote:
If I were you I would get up off your bottom, get some shoes on, pick up 50p and walk to your local paper shop and buy the Echo as the story about skateboarders damaging street furniture at City Beach is in there.

Am I jealous of them...

No not in any way shape of form, I have a loving wife & family, a very good job, a home that is fully paid for, and a car not a skateboard.

In my spare time its family, car restoration, meeting mates, kayaking, ironman just about anything but making a nuisance of myself.

Why what do you do, oh and before you ask how I can post throughout the day, Samsung Galaxy 3s and an ipad world wide internet conection.

oh a samsung i have an iphone and i skate seems i have more money than you and why do you want worldwide internet all you do is cut grass and talk about how your better than everyone else with a fake iphone and who did you steal the iphone from?

It is a work phone not much I can do about that.

When talking about yolurself you always use a capital I not a lower case i, I do not cut grass I am a hyperbaric welder (I weld underwater)

Here's a thought. Why not use help these youngsters and give them a skate park in addition to this ghastly open place but with ramps like Rayleigh St George's Playing Fields. How's about The old Pier Pavilion Site that's been empty since the old Pier Bowling Lanes burnt down? Surely better and cheaper than a "Cultural Pavilion" at the other end. Certainly bring some life back to the pier which offers youngsters very little at the moment. Come on SBC, use that one collective still functioning brain cell for once.

Oh get over it! There is no where decent and free for skateboarders/BMX'er
s to go around here. The one in Leigh is complete rubbish, lots opf damage to it and is very small... as well as it being out of the way for most young people to get to.
The Rayleigh one isn't bad - yet again only handy if you live in the town.
would you rather these 'youngsters' be out mugging someone, sitting in a park drinking? turn into one of the bums that sit outside B&Q all day long? or would you rather that they are staying out of trouble, socialising with their friends and staying active?
Most people are always so negative on here! Never see the positive in things.

Give these guys a better alternative and i am sure they will stop skating on the precious new floor.

Max Impact wrote:

Broadwaywatch wrote:

Max Impact wrote: If I were you I would get up off your bottom, get some shoes on, pick up 50p and walk to your local paper shop and buy the Echo as the story about skateboarders damaging street furniture at City Beach is in there. Am I jealous of them... No not in any way shape of form, I have a loving wife & family, a very good job, a home that is fully paid for, and a car not a skateboard. In my spare time its family, car restoration, meeting mates, kayaking, ironman just about anything but making a nuisance of myself. Why what do you do, oh and before you ask how I can post throughout the day, Samsung Galaxy 3s and an ipad world wide internet conection.

You forgot flying. How on earth did you forget such an important thing like that? If like you, I had a private pilots licence and shared a plane in Germany I think that would be on the top of my list. Mind you a very expensive hobby. Still you seem to have a very full life Max, good for you; thats what life is for,,,,the like of which for the skateboarders are doing.

Not got the share in the aircraft anymore, not after what I discoverd the others in the group had been doing.

The share scheme means we all pay the same amount in to the kitty each month for the upkeep of the aircraft, however they had sub divided their shares between others and not told me, so I was paying more than they were, I only found out when I went to take the aircraft up and found some stranger taking it out.

What a shame the new engine that was orderd is in my name and coming to my home address.

Such is life, not nice being deceived at anytime by anyone. However I am sure it will be a first for the residents of Mendip Crescent having an aero engine delivered in their street. Better by road than from the sky. What sort of plane is it for and why for goodness sake did you not have request it to be delivered to Germany where the plane was?

Maybe it's about time we stopped focusing on the bad things young people do ? So it's being used a skate park, maybe if the council spent more money building interesting places for young people to go they wouldn't have this problem, and lets be honest the skate parks in southend are pretty crap, they haven't been done up for a long time.

The council need to stop spending money on crap and put it to some decent use such as building somewhere for us to go. Two way street provide places for us to go and we won't be hanging around ''annoying'' people and will actually be doing things, till then I can't see the place in town not being used a skatepark, because lets admit it. 7.5million on a road ? Surely there were better things to spend the money on ??

In my experience skater kids are generally well-mannered and are usually just trying to keep out of peoples way. Its a community-based sport which should be encouraged, no? And as for their so-called wanton damage to public property, their boards might cause a bit of damage whilst they're having fun but its hardly running round with a hammer smashing windows is it?

Just leave them be, I say.

So, this time I've decided to play along and follow the rules...This should be interesting....... If no one reads my wall, this should be short. This is a Facebook game to see who reads posts, and who just trolls. So, if you read this, leave one word on how we met. Only one word, then copy this to your wall so I can leave a word for you. Please don't add your word and not bother to copy.

Go to Brighton and see how they welcome the kids being active and give them their own space to develop their skill and invite everyone to have a go too. MAx you need to get a life and stop projecting your obvious personal issues onto these kids cause it is obvious you have a problem...with being young and having FUN FUN FUN.

loubilou46 wrote:
So, this time I've decided to play along and follow the rules...This should be interesting....... If no one reads my wall, this should be short. This is a Facebook game to see who reads posts, and who just trolls. So, if you read this, leave one word on how we met. Only one word, then copy this to your wall so I can leave a word for you. Please don't add your word and not bother to copy.

Have you ever posted on a website when you shouldn't have? Perhaps you've accidentally sent your mother your tax return? Or maybe you've told your bank that you're missing them since they emigrated to Australia and hope to be able to make it over there in the Spring?

If you have, please let us know and we'll publish the best entrants on the Echo website.

Good luck to them. It was obvious that the area would be used for Southend's finest traditions of fornicating and fighting so let's welcome the third way.

Or spend the £40k used on the statue, where the man is dry shafting his intended, for a skate park in Warror Square.