To: Bristol City Council and Wessex Water
Protect St George Skate/Wheel Park and Ensure No Child Is Left Behind
We call on Bristol City Council and all relevant partners to protect St George Wheel Park as a vital piece of community infrastructure and to ensure that children, young people and families do not bear the cost of prolonged loss of this unique facility.
Why is this important?
St George Wheel Park is more than a skate park. It is a free, inclusive and accessible community asset that supports physical activity, social connection, mental wellbeing and positive opportunities for children and young people across Bristol.
If disruption or closure is required to facilitate essential infrastructure works, the Council must demonstrate that it has properly assessed the impact on local communities and put robust arrangements in place to protect the future of this important asset.
We ask Bristol City Council to commit to the following five actions:
1. Publish a Full Impact Assessment
Undertake and publish a comprehensive assessment of the impacts on children, young people, families, public health, equality and community wellbeing before any loss of provision occurs - this might not be the most appropriate site for Wessex Water to use, given its unique socail value.
2. Provide Suitable Meanwhile Provision
Identify, fund and deliver temporary alternative facilities so that children and young people are not left without access to equivalent opportunities for wheeled sports, recreation and physical activity during any closure period.
3. Ringfence Funding for Replacement and Improvement
Protect all funding allocated to the wheel park from inflation, delays or changing priorities, ensuring sufficient resources remain available to deliver a high-quality replacement or enhanced facility.
4. Secure Binding Delivery Commitments
Put in place clear agreements, milestones and public accountability mechanisms to ensure reinstatement is delivered on time and to an agreed standard.
5. Protect the Long-Term Future of the Asset
Work with the community to ensure that any future facility remains accessible, inclusive and designed to meet the needs of children, young people and families for generations to come.
For adults, a delay of two or three years may feel temporary. For a nine-year-old child, it represents a significant part of their childhood. Bristol's children deserve better than the loss of a unique community asset without proper assessment, mitigation or accountability.
Sign this petition to call for impact assessment, mitigation, accountability and protection of St George Wheel Park for current and future generations.
"this is my favourite place in the whole world"
DH - age 9
As parent of young children, the likely loss of St George Wheel/Skate Park feels shocking - it is a free to use, active, outdoor place where people meet. People of all ages, all walks of life - it is a special place.
It was intentionally designed with community building in mind.
Wessex Water have chosen this particular site, and whilst improvements to water systems are no doubt important, its not clear why it can only be there, or why other sites have not been considered.
With an indicative timeline of up to three years - why isn't there a meanwhile provsion? What a huge loss for children, three years is a fair chunk of childhood.
We need to know that its future is secure, we can't accept loosing a unique community asset!
DH - age 9
As parent of young children, the likely loss of St George Wheel/Skate Park feels shocking - it is a free to use, active, outdoor place where people meet. People of all ages, all walks of life - it is a special place.
It was intentionally designed with community building in mind.
Wessex Water have chosen this particular site, and whilst improvements to water systems are no doubt important, its not clear why it can only be there, or why other sites have not been considered.
With an indicative timeline of up to three years - why isn't there a meanwhile provsion? What a huge loss for children, three years is a fair chunk of childhood.
We need to know that its future is secure, we can't accept loosing a unique community asset!
