Skatepark not fit for purpose
Consistently closed during wet weather due to condensation issues caused by poor building design and ventilation. Venue not fit for purpose yet the owners continue to do absolutely nothing to address the situation. If you plan to skate here, phone ahead to check it's actually open and skateable.
When you raise any sort of discourse on this valid issue, XC block you on social media and/or delete people's posts. Very mature of them... Ignoring it and shutting people who have valid complaints down is never going to fix the issue.
Skate Pioneer in st Alban's instead in wet weather, a venue well worth supporting.
Reply from XC - Climbing & Skatepark
Hi James, thanks for your review. I see from our records you haven't visited the XC since 2019 - I believe Google Reviews was designed for people to review their experience at a place, and this isn't that, but I will respond to your points.
We close the park when it is unsafe to be used, and only when it is unsafe to be used.
We inherited this building, and have had quotes for the filling in of the open wall and reskinning the skatepark concrete. The quotes were not cheap, and calculations showed that if we did it and could therefore remain open on the handful of days a year condensation forces closure, it would take over 100 years to return the expenditure based on average income on those days. Importantly, however, we are a charity who's entire existence is to support children with additional needs and their families - absolutely-together.org for more information - we aren't a big business who has unlimited funds to act with, as our focus has always been, and will always be, on providing amazing experiences both within our venues and beyond for children with additional needs. We make no apologies for this whatsoever - they take priority over someone who hasn't been a customer of ours for 7 years.
In reference to the social media - we reserve the right to close comments and remove users who are rude or abusive to our team. We have found there is little point in engaging on social media with people who aren't users of the facility and/or refuse to listen to any explanations.
My team and I will continue to do our best to keep the park open as often as we can - which is 90+% of the year - the rest is out of our control. We would love to be open, seeing people learning, teaching and socialising in the skatepark is a huge thing for me, but the safety of our customers who actually use the park will always, always be our priority.
