BUSINESSMAN Steve Brooks is offering land on the outskirts of Devizes for a skateboard park.

He said he would be willing to talk to interested people to locate a skatepark at the back of Coral Cove, the soft play centre he owns at Hopton Park, London Road.

Youngsters have been without a skatepark since February last year, when Devizes Town Council was forced to remove the skateboarding equipment from Hillworth Park after losing a county court case over the noise it generated.

Mr Brooks, a father of three, said: "A lot of my children's friends are interested in skateboarding and I think it's a shame they have nowhere to go.

"The land I own at the rear of Coral Cove has outline planning permission for a gymnasium but I have no plans at the moment to go ahead with that.

"I think the land could be used as an outdoor or indoor skatepark but I need to speak to people who know how to design one. If there are people interested I would be looking to rent the land and let them run it."

Mr Brooks would want security cameras installed to give him and users peace of mind. He thinks the ideal site for a skatepark is on The Green but understands the opposition to it.

A site next to Coral Cove was considered by skatepark experts Tribe last year after Mr Brooks contacted the town council. Tribe rejected the site as it felt users of the skatepark could have a negative impact on the play centre.

Tribe recommended The Green or land next to the tennis courts at Devizes Leisure Centre for the skatepark.

People who responded to a town council survey were opposed to The Green being used as a site but the leisure centre site was welcomed.

The council has written to Kennet District Council and will be contacting Wiltshire County Council and the governors of Devizes School to try to persuade them the leisure centre site should be the site for a skatepark.

Simon Fisher, the town council's commercial manager, said: "We haven't discounted the Coral Cove site but our preferred site is by the leisure centre. The Coral Cove site didn't score well in the independent report by Tribe. Our ideal site needs to be easily accessible and in view.

"The Coral Cove site has a number of disadvantages which is why we haven't pursued it. We haven't shut the door on any of the sites.

"We may well go back to Mr Brooks if all else fails."