Skaters flip out at ‘regressive’ crackdown by council
WARNING OF £500 FINES AS ‘STOPPERS’ FITTED TO STREET FURNITURE IN CATHEDRAL GARDENS
SKATERS have hit out at a ‘regressive and authoritarian’ clampdown on skateboarding in the city centre.
Over the weekend signs warning skateboarders and cyclists they face a £500 fine have gone up in Cathedral Gardens – Manchester’s most popular skating spot.
Dozens of ‘skate stoppers,’ metal ridges and studs sunk into the edges of street furniture, have also been fitted on the stone ledges behind the Corn Exchange where skaters congregate.
Skateboarding has been banned in the city centre since 2000, when a by-law was introduced following complaints from the public.
In reality, unless they were causing trouble, the authorities have long turned a blind eye to skaters.
Now the council says action is being taken because ‘key public monuments and features’ have been repeatedly damaged in recent years.
But Paul Harrison, 49, who owns Northern Quarter skate shop Black Sheep, questioned why the town hall had suddenly altered its stance.
He told the M.E.N.: “The skateboarders who use that space are not drug dealers, they’re not thieves, they’re just people coming together doing something they love. We are supposed to be a progressive city. We are supposed to lead by example. To be so regressive and authoritarian is just a bit sad. That’s not what Manchester is about.”
On Monday night campaign group, Skate Manchester, held a meeting to discuss how to combat the ban.
Writing on Twitter the group said: “We are really disappointed to see the lengths @ManCityCouncil are going to, to try and ban skateboarding from public spaces within the city.
“For over a decade, Urbis has been a central hub for skateboarding in Manchester, not to mention a worldrenowned symbol of our city’s skate scene documented in photos and videos. Now thousands has been spent on stopping it. We’re planning some action to show the council the breadth of the community and the value of keeping public spaces open to all.”
A blog post on the Black Sheep website says the move risks Exchange Square becoming ‘Piccadilly Gardens mark II’ and describes it as ‘utterly short-sighted and self-defeating.’
It says: “At a point in time when cities like London, Milton Keynes and Nottingham (to name just a few) are embracing and celebrating the contribution of skateboard culture to the lives of their cities, Manchester – a globally celebrated city of culture – has decided to adopt one of the most retrogressive and down right stupid positions imaginable.
“Since its completion in 2002 as part of the redevelopment of Exchange Square, Urbis (formerly the ‘Museum of the City’) has been a lively plaza space in the very centre of Manchester playing host to the city’s thriving skate/ BMX and street sports scene, which has seamlessly intermingled with the hordes of shoppers, tourists and office workers crossing the square on a daily basis. All I will say for now is this: when Urbis turns into Piccadilly Gardens Mark 2, filled with hordes of stumbling spice zombies as a result of the urban cleansing of those who used to occupy and use the space in a positive manner, I’m going to be the very first person to say ‘I told you so.’”
Coun Angeliki Stogia, executive member for the environment, planning and transport at Manchester council, said: “While we are not against skateboarding in Manchester, it is important that we are able to protect the city centre’s key public monuments and features from the damage that skateboards can cause, which can be costly to repair. Having provided support for the popular Projekts MCR skatepark on London Road, we will continue to look at ways in which skateboarding can be promoted appropriately in the city, while also taking the necessary steps to ensure the upkeep of our public spaces.”
It is important that we are able to protect the city centre’s key public monuments
Coun Angeliki Stogia