GOVERNORS of Devizes School have held out a glimmer of hope for hundreds of young skateboarders who lost their park 15 months ago.

They say there may be a chance of organising an after-school club for skateboarders if the school achieves sports college status.

The town council has been searching for an alternative site for the skatepark since it lost a county court action in February 2002, and had to move its skateboarding equipment from Hillworth Park.

A report by independent consultants, Tribe Enterprises, favoured the Green as its first option for a skateboard park. But this idea did not find favour with either councillors or residents in the area. The second choice was the Devizes School campus, close to the leisure centre.

Councillors preferred this option because it would be away from housing and would be in a place where young skateboarders could be easily supervised.

School governors were initially not in favour. The town council, however, asked them to reconsider their decision. The reply was put before the town council's property and recreation committee on Tuesday evening.

Although the governors reiterated their feeling that the school campus was an undesirable site for a permanent skateboard park, they held out hope that, if the school is successful in its bid for sports college status, there may be a possibility of setting up an after-school club.

Coun Margaret Taylor said there are still questions to be answered.

"We need clarification from the governors. Will the club take place on the school grounds or elsewhere?'' she said.

The committee agreed to continue its search for another site. It set up a working party to look at the possibility of a temporary site at Green Lane.

The group will also conside the invitation from Steve Brooks, of Coral Cave soft play centre at Hopton industrial estate, to place it on land behind his premises.