TORRENTIAL rain and high winds are being blamed for the continuous delays to the opening of Cirencester’s new skate park.

The park, which is still under construction at the Kingshill Sports Complex, was originally due to open its gates in late December before being pushed back until the end of January.

The Standard can now confirm that, due to the constant bad weather, contractors have been unable to finish concreting the park.

“The park will be open in the early part of spring, at the latest,” said Andrew Tubb, chief executive of Cirencester Town Council.

He said: “The skating community would much rather we took our time with it and finished the job properly. The worst thing would be to rush it and then close it for repair work a few weeks later.”

Work began on the £200,000 park October, although the idea has been in the pipeline for over seven years.

When completed, the park, which is being funded by CTC and Sport England, will cover an area of 900sqm and will offer around 20 different obstacles of up to 1.35m in height to challenge skaters, BMXers and rollerbladers of all abilities.

Mr Tubb told the Standard that interest in the park had been phenomenal and come from far and wide.

“Even before we officially announced it, we had people come to us saying that they were considering moving to Cirencester just because of a skate park being built,” he said.

He also added that when completed the skate park will be the best of its kind in the whole of the South West of England.

The skate park will contain a circular circuit and feature a Roman Corinium pillar seating centrepiece along with newly installed floodlights that will allow used to carry on skating until 9pm.

Speaking in October, Cllr Deryck Nash, lead member for estate services, said: “The skate park forms part of the town council’s overall commitment in providing facilities for the local community and will be followed by improved sports facilities, new junior pitches, trim trail, wildlife area and outdoor gym.”

For further information on the project, visit www.1skateparks.co.uk.