Fresh calls have been made for ‘bike jump’ or ’scooter park’ facilities to help deter young people causing ongoing damage to green areas in the Portadown and Craigavon areas.
Alderman Margaret Tinsley said council was currently dealing with a “lot of ongoing issues” around Kernan and South Lakes Leisure Centre.
Young people, said the DUP representative, were “digging up ramps” to perform bike jumps, running up and down hills and causing damage.
Speaking at the April sitting of ABC Council’s environmental services committee, she asked officers to investigate possibilities, saying the actions of those involved was “causing an awful lot of upset” for the green areas.
“It’s happening adjacent to the football pitches and also just out there at the leisure centre,” added Alderman Tinsley.
“I’ve spoken to these young people and there is definitely a clear need for some sort of a bike jump, scooter park.
“ I know that we did discuss this in the past. Council did conduct an urban sports park report back in 2024. All I’m asking is, could the costing of such a facility be updated for the Kernan area, because I know two years out of date, the costing is probably not what it was back in 2024.”
Without going into detail, the local representative said there was “potential funding support with a local organisation within the Kernan area”.
But she said this would require “further discussions” and a “ballpark figure of where we’re sitting at to implement a facility in Kernan”.
Alderman Tinsley – asking for an updated report to be brought back to committee – said if it proved to be a “realistic figure” they could maybe look at discussing this with the potential funder.
Sinn Fein Councillor Jude Mallon, meanwhile, said he had recently suggested council explore the possibility of a dedicated area for e-scooters and e-scramblers on council-owned land and asked if there was any update.
Jonathan Hayes, director of environmental services and sustainablility, said: “Officers are looking into that request in relation to finding suitable land in relation to the off-road aspect of that.
“We are liaising with our colleagues in community development and we will be updating members in due course.”
