Skaters in Inverness have lodged a request to extend the operating hours of the city’s skate park to midnight.
The Highland Skate Parks Association has applied to the local authority for permission to vary the conditions of its planning terms so that the facility can open later.
The skate park, near Bught Park in the Highland capital, is currently able to keep the lights on until 10pm, but the group now wants to extend that by two hours.
Alasdair Campbell, a member of the association’s committee and an active user of the skate park, explained that older skaters were keen to have the chance to stay later.
He said: “The skate park has been very well-received since its creation, some two years ago now, and that is further reinforced by the volume of parents and participants alike that have attended the various events that have occurred since.
“Extending the lighting period would allow older users a later timescale to use the facility.
“The majority of employed skate park users don’t work a 9 to 5 job, so finding the time to get down when it’s not overrun by school children is near impossible.
“These restrictions coupled with the winter weather narrows the window of opportunity even more.”
The £455,000 skate park in Inverness was officially opened in 2015.
With 10 separate sections spread over 12,900sqft, the park has a 9ft deep bowl and a Nessie head, which forms part of a 164ft jump section.
The association has evolved into a charity that secured money from the Big Lottery, Sport Scotland and the Inverness common good fund.
A bike-focused “pump track” opened next to the site last year.
