Skaters Object to London's Southbank Center Proposals

Despite over 40,000 signatures, extensive media coverage, and even a letter from Tony Hawk to the Southbank Director of Partnership and Policy, it seems that the local government in London is intent on revising the undercroft of Southbank Center to make way for a retail-focused “Festival Wing.” The proposed wing was officially submitted to the Lamberth (Central London) planning committee. The English skateboarding community looks intent on preserving the historic skatepark, which has been a hub in the local scene for more than 40 years. Though, as Arch Daily reports in a recent article, the Southbank Centre has submitted a separate proposal that will grant skaters a new space at the nearby Hungerford Bridge, it seems London’s scene will not accept this as a proper alternative. Look for more news on this story as it develops.