BRIDPORT's popular indoor skatepark The Trick Factory on the St Michael's Trading Estate will close at the end of May after 17 years.

The success of the Trick Factory has been thanks to Rob Ridge who has dedicated his spare time for nearly two decades to mentor youngsters in Bridport.

The facility nearly closed in 2009 but a groundswell of support and the refusal of planning permission for redeveloping the site meant a stay of execution.

But despite the notice that estate owners Hayward & Co are not going to renew the lease Mr Ridge is hopeful that alternative premises might be found.

He said he was grateful to Hayward & Co for reducing the rent by 45 per cent which allowed the facility to keep going as long as it has.

Mr Ridge said: "When my team and myself took on the venture back in 1999 we had no idea it would run for as long as it has."

In the early days it was the only indoor facility in Dorset and is still one of only a handful in the South West.

In the last few years with the increase in the number of towns with their own, albeit outdoor, skateparks use of the Trick Factory dwindled.

Mr Ridge said: "This is great for locals who live close to such a facility, it would mean you don’t necessarily have to travel to places such as TTF. The one major flaw though is these are mostly outdoor facilities and the curse of the British weather.

"Even so, the last half dozen years has seen TTF lose most of its audience/users over the summer months – to the extent that in order to meet the costs of running the park it would have to be downsized."

Although many have campaigned to keep the Trick Factory in the Stover building Mr Ridge said he was told right from the start the factory was always going to be temporary.

He said: "Though I am disappointed that our current operation has to come to an end I do not feel I or the users of TTF have been treated unreasonably.

"There are people lobbying/campaigning for the Trick Factory to remain active in The Stover Building. If these efforts are successful in persuading the landlords to permit operation of TTF to continue then we will happily continue. To date this looks like an unlikely outcome."

Clive Hayward said it was 'disappointing' to be blamed for the fate of the facility.

He said: "Robert appreciates that without our financial support through significant reductions in rental values, the Trick Factory facility would have ceased operation long before now.

"It's disappointing to us that, despite our active financial support, Hayward & Co still seems to be seen by some as the Big Bad Wolf, as the nasty money grabbing landlord when the opposite is the case. Five years ago it was clear The Trick Factory was struggling to survive and we received a request to reduce their space along with a subsequent reduction in rent.

"Rather than see the space available to the Trick Factory reduced to a level that we knew would make it less attractive to youngsters, we decided to allow Robert and his small team to remain operating in the same space whilst at the same time reducing his rent by 45 per cent.

"We had hoped that we might be able to relocate the Trick Factory into a refurbished and regenerated Lilliput Building but this has since been granted Grade 2 listed status by Historic England. This meant not only that we had to rework our plans for that building but that it would no longer be possible to accommodate the Trick Factory.

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