Barking Skate Park, London’s only full-size indoor skate park, closed on Sunday and is set to be replaced with padel courts. This decision has drawn criticism from residents and campaigners, who argue it is part of a wider trend of converting public spaces into pay-to-play facilities.
Aiwa Saito, whose daughter is on Skateboard GB’s talent pathway programme, expressed concern about the lack of alternative indoor facilities for young skateboarders. Eleanor Dunlop, who led the campaign to save the venue, highlighted the importance of the park to the local community in Barking and Dagenham, one of the country's most deprived areas.
Barking and Dagenham council stated that GLL, the charity running the sports complex, advised the skate park had been operating at a financial loss. The council noted that equipment from Barking Skatepark has been distributed to other skate parks in the wider area.
The average cost of £51 an hour for a padel court in London has led to claims of exclusivity. Similar proposals to convert community spaces have been seen across London, including in Bethnal Green and Camden, where a proposal to replace a children's sandpit with padel courts was rejected after local protests.