I THINK that Mr Short (Don't ignore rising stars EA, May 4 ), may be getting a little confused as to the difference between leisure and sports development.

I questioned his sports development team's support for private clubs, not the provision of leisure facilities.

His figure of three million people using the town's facilities are indeed impressive.

Unfortunately ten-year-old children do not get to go to the Olympics by using the slides at the Oasis once a week.

They need dedicated, long-term, specialist training from highly trained coaches who, in turn, need support from Mr Short and his team.

It is that support which is sadly lacking in Swindon and it is Mr Shorts sports development team which is responsible.

I can only speak from my own club's experience but if ours are duplicated across the borough then really, what future is there for any of the young sports stars in Swindon?

What Mr Short failed to mention in his response to my concerns was that, in the three years since Esprit first offered to build Swindon a purpose-built gymnastics facility (that wouldn't have cost the taxpayer a penny), the sports development team has held just one meeting to discuss things and that took the best part of a year for them to organise.

At that meeting the only conclusion they came to was "let's have another meeting!'' That was again, over a year ago and it still hasn't happened, despite constant reminders.

The Advertiser's Comment stated that it thought I was being a little harsh. Maybe so, if my comments were directed at the leisure facilities in the town, but they weren't.

Mr Short, I feel, is the one who needs to stop and think for five minutes, perhaps, if he did, he would see that it is not him who knows what's best for Swindon's young athletes.

It's the many exceptional, dedicated and brilliant athletes and coaches in Swindon who know what they need and it is simply his job to supply it.

If the people managing services within the council don't have a good understanding of what resources and facilities are needed they will never know what really is required to develop great athletes who, in turn, put something back into society.

Surely it is also his job to consult with all sports groups and interested parties before decisions are decided and he hasn't ever contacted us.

He says Swindon is investing in new facilities and that the ones we have are the best available, how then does he explain why both gymnastics clubs in the town have to operate from converted warehouses in the middle of busy industrial estates?

M Hows

Chairman, Esprit Gymnastics

The io Centre

Stratton St Margaret