THE newly revamped North Tawton Memorial Park was officially declared open on Thursday last week (May 9) – with a BMX demonstration from the man who designed the skatepark element of the scheme.

Kye Forte, of Devon company Forte Trailscapes, showed what could be done on skate and bicycle track, watched by children, young people and town councillors He worked with TK Play, of Great Torrington, who did the park revamp, to create the track.

Town council vice chairman Jean Trewhitt said: ‘We had at least 30 children plus the parents come along. It was really buzzing. They were on bikes and scooters and balance bikes. Then Kye, who designed the track, had his BMX bike and showed us some tricks and did a bit of a demonstration.

‘Although he’s designed similar tracks, this was the first one of its kind with Agriflex sides, which TK Play built. It makes it look really nice. They don’t ride down that at all, but it stops the sides getting muddy. It has also been used under the swings.’

The skate and bicycle track have been paid for by the town council as part of a major revamp of more than £100,000 of the park, largely funded from Section 106 money from the adjacent Batheway Fields housing estate and the town council.

This includes a trampoline, a ‘you and me’ swing for parent and child and a multi-use games area (MUGA) for football, basketball, netball and tennis, protected by an anti-vandal fence.