A new skatepark in Kingsbridge has finally opened to the public after months of delays.

The course opened last Thursday (March 14), with skaters and other two-wheel aficionados eager to test the course despite the poor weather.

Building work on the £250,000 facility started in September. The skatepark had originally been due to open at Christmas, but heavy rain forced a postponement. Although there were hopes of a January inauguration, it was decided to delay the opening until now following recommendations related to the installation of safety fences.

South Hams District Council (SHDC) issued a statement, thanking the community’s skaters “who have patiently waited for the opening”.

Adam Sherring, of the Kingsbridge Skatepark Community Group, said: “This has been a passion project, in response to seeing skaters daily desperate for a quality park. The ongoing support of people in and around Kingsbridge has been humbling, and the skatepark will bring real and long lasting improvement to the quality of life of young people in the town. I couldn’t be prouder of the way Kingsbridge has pulled together to deliver this.”

Cllr Victor Abbott, South Hams Executive Member for Community Services and Leisure, said: “The local community raised funds to deliver this skatepark in super quick time, through their local Crowdfunder which in turn attracted interest and secured funding from Sport England.

“This is testament to the importance Kingsbridge residents place on improving facilities for their young people. We are thrilled to have played our part in delivering a skatepark that responds to community need, and it has been a pleasure working with the local community and the Town Council to deliver this project.”

Kingsbridge mayor Philip Cole said: “We are over the moon to see the opening of the skatepark. Local young people have been extremely patient awaiting the opening, and we can’t wait to see them enjoying the new ramps.”

The construction of the project was carried out by Wheelscape, which worked closely with the skating community to design a bespoke skatepark.

Elliot Hamilton, project manager at Wheelscape said: “This has been a complicated project to deliver, and we are thrilled to now see the opening of a quality skatepark.

“During the build, we were overwhelmed by the interest from local skaters and riders, and it is clear that this is going to be a popular and well used park. We are delighted to be helping to improve the health of future generations to come and we couldn’t have achieved this project in such good time without the support of the community – well done Kingsbridge!”

Finance for the project involved a mix of private and public capital as well as a crowdfunding initiative. The latter raised more than £38,000 in just a couple of months, with Sport England contributing £100,000.

In addition, Kingsbridge town council provided further funding of £50,000 and SHDC gave £30,000 with a further £25,000 of Section 106 Developer’s (S106) Funding. The Gibbons Trust also provided £5,000 and the Norman Family Trust gave £5,000.

With drier and warmer weather in the spring, there will be a formal opening of the park that will include music and skating displays.