GAZETTE & HERALD: Teenagers' dreams for a brand new permanent skatepark in Chippenham lie in ruins because the Westmead site has proved far too problematic and no suitable alternative can be found.

North Wiltshire District Council resolved at its executive meeting on Thursday to abandon investigations into using the Westmead playing fields for a skatepark because of mounting difficulties, such as the discovery of a water main under the proposed site.

Chippenham skatepark campaign group Skate In Safety was shocked and disappointed to hear the news.

Spokesmen Geoff Faulkner and Mike Connolly said: "Although many parties have voiced support for this facility, including the district council, that support has not resulted in the project even reaching the planning stage.

"Skate in Safety is particularly disappointed that the work put into designing a permanent, free facility by a large group of the town's young people, working in conjunction with the free services of a professional skate park builder and initially supported by the district council, have gone to waste."

Coun Carol O'Gorman, portfolio holder for youth and youth facilities, said: "We have put an enormous amount of work into this and we are all disappointed it has come to this."

The district council hopes to offer some consolation to youngsters by offering the Bridge Youth Centre, managed by Wiltshire County Council, the ownership of a series of small mobile ramps. Further funding from the skatepark capital budget will be used to buy a mobile half-pipe for the youth centre.

Council officers will also investigate the possibility of creating a mobile skatepark partnership for the area.

Councillors are also still open to ideas for a permanent site if members of the public have any good ideas.

But Skate In Safety was not satisfied with the outcome of more than a year's work investigating the site.

Mr Faulkner said: "Skate in Safety is shocked that a growing town the size of Chippenham cannot provide a permanent facility for young people to progress their sports of boarding, skating and BMXing and hopes that the residents of our town are mindful of this when they observe youngsters partaking of their sport in the streets and open spaces of Chippenham.

"The lack of facilities for this large sector of young people is very unfortunate and we can only hope that they do not feel let down by the elders of the town and those they see as being in charge."

The provision of a skatepark has proved a thorn in the district council's side for several years. While the local authority has worked hard to provide a facility for young people the project has continually run into trouble.

Monkton Park skatepark was closed in 2002 after residents complained of noise and anti social behaviour.

The Local Government Ombusdman ordered the council to pay residents on Monkton Park compensation after they complained about the noise from the skatepark.

Skate In Safety was set up to lobby for a new park and in January 2003. Westmead was identified and in October 2003 members of the executive decided it had real possibilities.

Early last year Skate In Safety went as far as commissioning a concrete skatepark manufacturer to design the park, but a planning application submitted in August was withdrawn when it was discovered a Wessex Water main was located under the site.

Designing a smaller skatepark on the site proved a problem because of the Environment Agency and ROPSA design requirements and subsistence issues. It has subsequently emerged that a storm water drain for the Flowers housing development will also cross the revised site.

The withdrawn planning application also drew objections from meat processor, Hygrade, which raised concerns about skateboarders using Westmead Lane. Although it is a public highway the route passes through the Hygrade factory.