I have just received my latest issue of Calne Connection and am astounded that a sum of £90,000 is to be spent on a skatepark in the town.

For such a vast sum to be spent on a project that, although high profile, will benefit only a small minority of the population and on what is essentially a short-term craze is almost criminal.

I am sure those reading this will say that there is nothing for youngsters to do, but there never has been. What are our educational and social systems doing that makes our children incapable of makingdo with the resources available and entertaining themselves?

Surely there are much more worthy projects to spend the money on?

If the money is to be spent on youngsters, then why not spend it on something that can potentially benefit all of them such as employing a worker to man the drop-in centre instead of relying on the few dedicated volunteers that give up their free time?

Or spend it on something to benefit the whole community, such as the museum or heritage centre that has been promised in the past.

A skatepark would, I am sure, be used responsibly by most of those it is intended for but I am far from convinced it will not turn into yet another unsupervised meeting place for those who aren't so responsible and will lead to trouble.

Robert Baggs

Oxford Road, Calne