Former pro skater designs Heanor's first wheeled sports facility
Work on a wheeled sports facility designed by ex-pro skateboarder Marc Churchill has begun in Heanor.
Construction on the £200,000 community project is due to start on Monday, October 14, 2024. The project has been funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) allocation of Government funding.
Until now, Heanor was the only town in Amber Valley that did not have an outdoor wheeled sports facility – something that has long been an aspiration for young people in the town.
The new facility is being created in Lockton Avenue by appointed contractor Gravity Engineering, a firm that has created over 300 skateparks around the UK.
Former professional skater Marc Churchill, design director at Gravity Engineering, created the design.
It will provide the first wheeled sports facility in the town, and the first concrete wheeled sports facility in Amber Valley.
Councillor John McCabe, Cabinet Member for Communities and Street Pride Portfolio, said: “We are excited to be able to bring to fruition this long-awaited facility. We anticipate it will bring people together and help establish better community cohesion and youth engagement.
“The benefits of such a resource are shown to have great health benefits all round.”
Research shows that wheeled sports facilities help to reduce anti-social behaviour. When built in places where there are existing problems, such as criminal activity, or vandalism, the skaters often serve to displace those people.
The new, inclusive facility will cater for users of all ages and abilities, from novice through to the more experienced rider. It will enable more local residents, in particular children, young people and families, to engage in being active and moving more, which can have a positive impact on their physical health and mental wellbeing.
Cllr McCabe said: “The £2.9million of UKSPF funding allocated to Amber Valley Borough Council has provided a fantastic opportunity to help address and deliver the needs of our local communities.
“A wheeled sports facility in Heanor has been talked about for a number of years so it’s great that we’ll soon see this finally come to fruition.”
He added: “As this is the first concrete wheeled sports facility in the borough, we anticipate it will create a hub for a wide range of users who will be excited to use the new facility.”
More News From Amber Valley Info
| Chesterfield Royal Hospital invites members and public to Annual Members Meeting Members of the public, patients, colleagues and community partners are being invited to attend Chest read more | |
| New Vans And Timetables Herald Bright Future For Mobile Library Service Book lovers in communities across Derbyshire are set to benefit as the county’s mobile library service welc read more | |
| Belper chef wins Creative Nutrition Award for transforming dementia-friendly nutrition A Derbyshire care home in is celebrating after its head chef won the Creative Nutrition Award read more | |
| Mobile speed camera locations in Derbyshire during August 2026 Derbyshire Casualty Reduction Enforcement Support Team (C.R.E.S.T) will be carrying out mobile safety camera enforceme read more | |
| More GP appointments in Derby and Derbyshire after surgery upgrades Investment in healthcare buildings in Derby and Derbyshire means that about 82,000 extra GP appointments can be o read more | |
The Amber Valley Info Noticeboard
| Food waste recycling is coming to Amber Valley From June 2026, Amber Valley Borough Council will introduce weekly food waste recycling across the borough as part of a phased roll-ou read more | |
| Stallholder Bookings Now Open For The Tansley Big Day Out We're excited to announce that Tansley's Big Day Out 2026 will take place on 6th & 7th June 2026! read more | |
| Christmas and New Year bin collection dates Over the festive season, bin collections will operate on revised schedules. Some collections may take place up to two days earlier than u read more | |
| Launch Of WOMBLE MANIA! At the Heights of Abraham, Opened by Marcus Robertson, Son of Wombles author, Elisabeth Beresford, officially launched WOMBLE MANIA! at the Heights of Abraha read more | |
| Belper School and Sixth Form Centre Closed Today Due to a significant water leak, resulting in the water being turned off at school, we unfortunately have to close the school today. read more | |
