PUMP IT UP

Skateparks and pump tracks have become vital parts of community play provision, offering inclusive spaces that promote physical activity, creativity, and social interaction

Pump Tracks are spaces designed to generate momentum through a ‘pumping’ action through the body, rather than pedalling. Designed and built correctly, they can be suitable for a wide variety of ages and skill levels, and offer users a full body workout – disguised as fun! Their versatility and lack of need for specialist bikes or equipment makes them a great community facility, allowing generations to play together.

Activity through inclusivity

Unlike traditional play areas, pump tracks cater to a wide range of ages and wheeled sports – from skateboards and scooters to BMX and balance bikes – creating facilities that grow with users and encourage long-term participation. When designed well, they can offer an open, creative and inclusive gateway into physical activity for children who may not feel at home in traditional sports settings.

Through sensitive redesign, tired parks can be transformed into safe, engaging hubs for young people

Unlike team games with fixed rules or competitive expectations, these spaces encourage freedom, experimentation, and self-expression. A child can turn up alone or with friends, set their own pace and develop skills through play rather than instruction.

For children who feel shy, lack confidence, or don’t see themselves as “sporty”, pump tracks and skate parks can remove the pressure to perform. They invite movement for movement’s sake – gliding, balancing and improving through repetition – while still offering the thrill of mastery and progress. The design of these spaces naturally promotes fitness, agility, and coordination, but in a way that feels more like play than exercise.

Equally important is the social environment they foster. Riders and skaters of all ages and abilities share the same space, often encouraging one another and celebrating small wins. This sense of belonging can be transformative, especially for children who struggle to find their place in organised sport. Pump tracks can make movement joyful, accessible and endlessly adaptable – a vital route to lifelong physical confidence.

Freedom, creativity and self-expression lie at the heart of every great pump track

Something old, something new

The recently refurbished Witney Skatepark in Oxfordshire, originally built in the early 2000s, had become tired and less appealing to local riders. Through a sensitive redesign, the park was transformed into a modern, flowing concrete facility that accommodates beginners while still challenging more advanced users. The refurbishment not only extended the lifespan of the site but also reinvigorated its role as a safe and engaging hub for young people.

By contrast, Raunds Skatepark in Northamptonshire demonstrates the impact of starting fresh. This new build combined a contemporary skatepark with an adjacent pump track, providing complementary spaces that attract a wide variety of users. The pump track in particular has proven popular with families, offering a safe introduction to cycling and wheeled sports for all ages. Together, the two facilities have created a vibrant destination that supports progression, inclusivity, and active play.

Projects like these, designed and delivered by Bendcrete Skateparks, highlight how skateparks and pump tracks can strengthen communities. They provide more than just recreational spaces – they are long-term assets that encourage healthier lifestyles, develop skills, and foster a sense of belonging.

Bellshill Gateway cycle facilities, North Lanarkshire

Pump track and bike park specialist, Velosolutions, has completed a pump track project at Bellshill gateway in Strathclyde Country Park. Facilities now include a pump track, trials bike area and mountain bike skills loops and trails, as well as a natural play area and small woodland.

Velosolutions delivered a 200m pump track, 350sq m pump park and a 65m jump line at the site, as well as a mountain bike skills area, trials area, and a “Red Mountain Bike Trail”. The pump track, park and jump line are finished in Velosolutions’ specially developed, custom asphalt mix, which is shaped and finished to be smooth enough for use by bikes, skateboards, roller blades and scooters.

This custom asphalt has low rolling resistance, yet provides enough traction to be used in wet weather. Combined with floodlighting, the park and other areas can be used year-round.

A spokesperson for Velosolutions said: “Careful attention to drainage design and track gradients further ensure that water doesn’t pool on the track, keeping it open whatever the weather.

“The pump track allows riders to progress around the track, while the jump line allows more advanced riders to work on jumps and tricks. Elsewhere, the pump park offers a connected ride space that doubles as a lower level track for beginners, or a freestyle space for skateboards and advanced riders.”

Velosolutions has also developed an additional ‘all-ability’ track type, which provides gradients and turning radii suitable for wheelchairs and adaptive bikes.

Liss Parish Council Trials and Adopts a Modular Pumptrack

Faced with the challenge of delivering safe, inclusive, and cost-effective recreational infrastructure, Liss Parish Council engaged Dirt Factory to trial a portable pump track, a temporary, modular facility offering flexibility and community insight ahead of investment.

The trial attracted widespread participation across age groups and modes of mobility, from bikes and scooters to roller skates. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, collected via both online surveys and in-person channels. As one councillor noted, the track is set to become a hub for exercise, skill development and social connection.

Modular solution: Parkitect pump tracks

Following the trial, the council selected Parkitect Modular Pumptracks for the permanent installation. These prefabricated systems are designed for rapid installation, low long-term maintenance, and future adaptability, ideal for councils operating within tight budgets and evolving space-use needs.

Parkitect tracks meet stringent TUV safety and insurance standards,offering peace of mind for councils, while their inclusive design supports users across abilities, helping foster a sense of ownership and active collaboration within the community.

The project offers a compelling blueprint for other UK local authorities: start with a low-risk trial, engage the community authentically, and invest in adaptable, certified infrastructure that maximises impact while ensuring both financial efficiency and long-term adaptability. More than just a track, the facility has proved an asset that promotes wellbeing, inclusivity and future-ready planning.

Dirt Factory is the official UK supplier and installer of Parkitect Modular Pumptracks, with experience delivering both temporary and permanent installations.