I must take Maxine Dyer to task on a number of inaccuracies in her last letter to the Gazette. Those skateboarders I have spoken to want a skate park but are not fussed if it’s in Monkton Park or not. The fixation for Monkton Park comes from the mysterious task group, many of whom are unelected.

She states many of the signatures were gathered at the Folk Festival, while actually ten per cent of the signatures came from those attending the Folk Festival and living in the park during the festival.

Far from desperation, it is a clear indication that the park is valued by many more than those she castigates for living in Saddlers Mead, all the signatures were collected in the park or in the town, in stark contrast to the signatures collected on the net by the skateboarders whose signatures come from everywhere, from people who have never seen the park and never will.

Secondly, she knows the much- vaunted sound reports are being strenuously challenged. The exercise set up by the task group asked the question “how loud will the noise from the skate park have to be before it attracts complaints” the process itself took background readings from four locations around the park and then took measurements of noise from two skate parks in Bristol. It simply added one to the other and made the judgement that if it erected a 14-foot high barrier or sunk the 35m by 25m rink by 2.5m and built a smaller barrier, none of which solves the problem of proximity to the children’s play area or, potentially, impeding the pathway to town which adjoins the site. The noise generated will still be above the acceptable level, leaving this large expensive structure in danger of closure yet again.

A number of sites around Chippenham have been identified as accessible and suitable for a skate park, likely to attract far fewer complaints, need less work and save a large sum of money for the council taxpayers. However, the Task Group seems determined to present Monkton Park as their preferred option and will not confirm or deny that they have assessed all the other proposed sites.

So, sorry Ms Dyer, the only thing holding up the construction of a skate park is your obsession with Monkton Park, plus your refusal to consider any other site.

Name and address supplied.