BCP Council has submitted a planning application for the full refurbishment of Baiter Skate Park in Poole, backed by a £400,000 investment from its wider Plan for Play strategy. The project would replace the ageing metal ramps on a tarmac base with a modern concrete skatepark designed to welcome riders of all ages, abilities and wheeled sports disciplines.
The application, numbered P/26/02919/FUL, is now open for public comment before a decision is made. The proposed layout weaves together street features, transition elements and open space, built around the principles of flow and progression. Councillor Sandra Moore, portfolio holder for play strategy, described the scheme as ‘a significant milestone towards creating a skate park fit for the future.’
The existing park first opened in 1999 and holds the title of Poole’s largest skate facility. The new design emerged from a co-creation effort with Maverick Skateparks, a Poole-based specialist founded in 2007, and a wish list drawn up by local riders. A public consultation that included focus groups at 608 Skate Shop ran until 15 November 2025, and feedback directly shaped the final plan. The site sits beside the boating lake in Baiter Park, where a high-water base meant a bowl feature could not be included.
The £400,000 sum forms part of the council’s broader £4.6 million Plan for Play, which launched in December 2024 and sets out to improve roughly 120 play areas across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Phase One funding draws on the Community Infrastructure Levy from developers, and officers inspected every one of the area’s 171 existing play spaces—assessing 1,175 pieces of equipment—to guide the first wave of work.
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