A SKATE park in Christchurch has re-opened after a major transformation.

Olympic skateboarding hopeful Alex Decunha has been invited by BCP Council to officially open the refurbished facility at Two Riversmeet Leisure Complex on Saturday, June 8.

The Arena Skate Park features a quarter pipe, floating ledge, flat bank, snow plough hip and a bowled quarter pipe.

Skaters, scooter and BMX riders are all invited to test out the ‘state-of-the-art’ park at a Skate Jam, which takes place from 12-4pm, after the official opening.

The former Christchurch Borough Council worked with Poole-based design company Maverick Industries to create the new designs for the skate park.

More than 40 people who use the facility attended a public consultation in early February and gave feedback on the designs.

After the consultation, suggestions were considered and final plans for the new skate park were published.

Work started on the new park at the end of March.

The funding for the project was approved by councillors as part of a wider play refurbishment project in July last year.

When the project got under way, Rebecca Whelan-Edmonds, community and recreation officer for the former Christchurch and East Dorset Councils, said: “We’re really pleased to be working with the experts at Maverick Industries on this project. They have installed some of the best skate parks in the UK and they really push the boundaries to ensure that skate park users have a great experience in their parks”.

Twenty-two-year-old Alex Decunha, from Milton Keynes, is part of Skateboard GB’s ‘Aspiration Squad’ – a group of five British athletes who are receiving support to try and qualify for skateboarding’s Olympic debut in Tokyo next summer.

The original Christchurch skatepark was built by Evolution and opened in 2013.