London's Largest Skatepark Set to Close to Make Way For Paddle Courts

London’s largest indoor skatepark, Barking Better Extreme, is set to be shut down on the August 2nd despite opposition from London Mayor of Communities and Social Justice. The park, which was created with £500,000 of public funds, is set to make way for a paddle tennis court. However, campaigners claim that this decision was made without public consultation. According to a spokesperson from GLL, the company behind the skatepark, BBE has actively lost money since they obtained the site, prompting the change in facilities. Similar changes are happening across London. Only recently, a Padel court was installed within a popular skate spot in Bethnal Green Gardens, leaving regulars a small space in an already cramped city.

Skateparks are amongst the last third spaces we have in this country. Decades of austerity, alongside Brexit and the cost of living crisis have prompted the closure of many community halls and gathering spaces. Since 2010, we have seen 1,200 library and community spaces change hands to volunteers. This isn’t including the spaces and services which were outright closed all together as part of cuts to public funding. BBE represents a larger issue we are seeing in our society, where once free (or low cost), accessible and community owned places are being replaced by commodified spaces such as private bowling areas and cinemas. Increasingly, we are seeing the gentrification of once integral working-class spaces. Since leaving the EU, the UK has lost a significant amount of money through the cessation of the European Re-Development fund. The EU Re-Development fund was replaced by the UK Prosperity Scheme in 2021/22, however, despite this year being the largest payout, it is still more than 50% less than what we received from the EU, leaving a significant gap in funding. 

Despite calls from The London Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice to suspend the closure, BBE maintains that it will close on the 2nd August 2026.