A COUPLE fear their skate park could go bust when Colchester Council opens a free facility at a former bus depot.
Robert and Jodie Luckman, who run Ramp Rage, in Eastgates, Colchester, say the council’s plans for the vacant building in Magdalen Street could put them out of business.
Mr Luckman is angry he was not consulted on the new extreme sports site.
He has invested £250,000 in Ramp Rage, which opened in December, and neither him or his wife take a wage from the business.
He said: “Everybody is going to go there because it’s free.
“We are trying to run a business and it’s hard enough as it is.
“If this happens the council will have another empty building and put ten people on the breadline.”
Mr Luckman recently invested another £30,000 to create an outside park, which is set to open next month.
Colchester Council wants to open the former depot to lure skateboarders away from outside the Firstsite art gallery.
Mr Luckman said skateboarders using Firstsite do not hurt his business, because it is outdoors and is such a unique place to skate. The bus depot would be a competitor because it is more similar to his businesses .
He added: “They can’t say we don’t do enough for the community.  We even give free lessons at Firstsite for the council.”
Anne Gooderham, owner of Demon Xtreme skate park, in Cowdray Avenue, Colchester,  warned opening another permanent indoor area would close one or both of the businesses.
Colchester Council wants to open the disused bus depot next week, the First week of the summer holidays, as a trial scheme.
It could be open for longer if it is a success.
A Colchester Council spokesman said: “The proposed skate park is a community initiative supported by Essex Police. It will be open to all, so local youths who would otherwise not be able to access a paid activity will get the chance to have a go.
“The mobile skate park will only be at this location for a week at this stage.”