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@The_Seldom_Killer
It's odd really. If you go to Stockwell, it's quite stereotypical of a skatepark, lots of kids, lots of noise, the occaisional frank exchange of views.
When I was skating at Peckham Rye and Belair, it was always nice and relaxed. Usually a mix of teenagers and adults up into their thirties. In fact when the Peckham Park was initially suggested as an option in a community meeting, Stockwell was cited as a reason it shouldn't happen. I raised Belair as an example. I was able to point out that people were already travelling from the Peckham Rye area to Belair, demonstrating a level of demand and interest for the facility and I think that helped to get it through.
Definitely worth adding that where skatepark facilities are installed there is usually a marked downturn in skater related anti-social behaviour and damage to other public facilities. This is part of the reason why Southbank elected to tolerate skating and later appreciated the contribution that skaters made to the local culture, taking an otherwise dismal space, frequented by rough sleepers and drug users, and turned it into something more vibrant. Also a key reason why the freerunners adopted the space as well.