Who would have thought Swindon needed an ice rink?

This may seem a strange question, but some 18 years ago Swindon Council decided that's exactly what the town wanted.

Councillors should be congratulated on their foresight. The huge financial risks associated with such a project must have made this decision difficult indeed.

The research department must have had to do a huge amount of work assessing the likely success of such a project.

Nevertheless our council deemed the risk worthwhile and built the Link Centre.

So why does our present council find it so difficult to see what a massive benefit a similar facility would be for skateboarders, inline skaters and BMX riders?

You only have to step outside your front door and you'll see groups of young people skating or riding BMX bikes. Love them or loathe them, these activities are part of our youth culture.

We have seen several unsuitable proposals put forward and, in my view, justifiably rejected.

No resident really wants large groups of young people making any amount of noise 100 yards from their property when they get home and are trying to relax, or on a sunny Sunday afternoon when they're sitting in the garden.

One solution could be to find 15 suitable sites across the town and open all them all on the same day, so that everyone had somewhere local to skate from day one.

No one would need to travel far, each park would have a manageable number of people, and the noise would be acceptable to all.

In reality this will never happen. As far as I am aware the council has been unable to find a single suitable site that has not come up against opposition from residents.

And even the worst accountant could deduce the financial stupidity of such a scheme. Building 15 sites could cost, let's say, £100,000 each plus all the costs to keep the facility clean, tidy and in good repair so people can continue to use it.

There would be no income as we would be unable to charge for using the facility.

There would be no way to keep an eye on all the parks to stop vandals breaking the equipment, and they would be vulnerable to weather damage.

What I, and a huge number of others, would like to see is a facility that provides everything for these young people a large indoor skate park that can be used by all skaters and BMXers from 9am to 11pm every day of the year.

A fully staffed facility that is easily accessible, offering customers first aid, snacks and drinks, toilets and lockers, and pay phones and arcade machines.

A safe and friendly environment for young people to enjoy themselves without being asked to move on, without the danger of being hit by traffic, or damaging property or knocking into a passerby.

A facility like this would obviously cost a significant amount of money, money that could, over the years, be recouped through admission fees and revenue from snacks, drinks, and arcade machines.

Surely the financial risks associated with such a project do not even come close to those taken by the councillors responsible for the Link Centre.

We all know the demand for such a fantastic facility. It would be something special that the young people of our town and from other areas could use and be proud of for years to come.