A skate park in Watford has been recognised at an awards ceremony.

Oxhey Skate Park won the Project of the Year - Special Landscape Design Award and was shortlisted in the Design Excellence category at the Building Futures Awards on October 21.

The awards promote and celebrate schemes across Hertfordshire that are at the forefront of sustainable design and construction.

Working with Borras Construction Ltd and Freestyle Skateparks, Watford Borough Council completed the construction of Oxhey Activity Park in September 2020.

The major landscape overhaul of previously unused brownfield site includes extensive skate park facilities, play areas interspersed along a landscaped green corridor and a café, which was clad in sustainable Siberian Larch.

Watford Observer: The cafe at the skate park The cafe at the skate park

Sustainable materials were used throughout the project build, with low U-values, high airtightness, air source heat pumps and natural ventilation along with the green roof of the café some of the methods used to increase sustainability.

Mayor of Watford Peter Taylor said: “I am delighted that this major project led by Watford Borough Council has been recognised by the Building Futures judges. Oxhey Activity Park is already proving to be a very popular place to visit and our investment has transformed the area into an exciting new sport, play and leisure facility.

Watford Observer: An aerial view of the skate park An aerial view of the skate park

“These awards are well deserved recognition for all those who helped design and deliver these wonderful new facilities, with sustainability at the heart of the project.”

The judges’ comments at the Building Futures Award included: “This is clearly a very popular new park and an excellent use of a brownfield site. The park delivers exception social value for a broad range of users of all ages. It’s an excellent facility with many opportunities to engage with the activities or merely spectate, no matter what age you are.

“We liked the positioning of the café at one end and the car park at the other, connected by a well-considered series of spaces and a hierarchy of routes which lead you through the park and the many interconnected activity zones.”