| Activity | In the mid 1970s skateboarding arrived in the UK and became a craze. Following this rocketing and continued popularity the Livingston Development Corporation began to look at building a skate park in Livingston – they were especially interested as the new town had few facilities for young people. In 1977 the Livingston skate club formed – The Livingston Skate Kats (who later changed the name to, more simply, “Livingston Skates”, and later again to "Livi Skates". The Kats, and especially founding member Kenneth Omond (who now sits on the board of Skateboard Scotland) were very good at communication and in lobbying the Corporation to build a skate park. Considerations about pedestrian safety and road accidents, given the number of skaters using pavements and roads, persuaded the Corporation that providing a skate park would be a good idea.
After several false starts the Corporation finally settled on a site near the newly developed Almondale Shopping Centre, near the River Almond in the centre of Livingston. The initial park was completed in 1980 and consisted of an “outside rink of convoluted shape used for skating and skateboarding” with the layout being one bowl and one half-pipe run-off. The half pipe was constructed with “100mm thick concrete skin sprayed on using Shortcrete System.”
The Skatepark proved a runaway success. In September 1991 the Board of the Corporation heard that “the provision of skatebowl has proved to be a tremendous success, encouraging young people interested in the sport to develop their skills and enjoyment.” The site was repaired and upgraded in the late 1980s, and expanded again in 1992 to ease congestion of spectators, improve water drainage, as well adding a second bowl. The improvements were designed to give Livingston “the premier European Skate Park.” The Development Corporation put the costs of the original site in 1980 at £65,000 whilst the extension in 1992 cost £75,000. The skate park continues to this day as a world class venue and plans were announced by West Lothian council to spend £250,000 on upgrading it once again in 2012. |