I HAVE now attended a few meetings of Bromyard Town Council and have been lobbying for Herefordshire Council to reject the plans for the proposed skateboard park on Bromyard playing fields.

Having attended a number of these meetings, I can honestly say that I am astounded at the short-sightedness and double standards of people who have been elected to serve our community.

I listened intently to councillors discussing the damage and vandalism already being inflicted on the children's play equipment, the football posts, benches and the rest of the playing fields. They talk about lack of health and safety, poor maintenance, irregular safety checks, broken bottles and litter and how much it will cost to put all this right.

At the other end of the scale, Bromyard town councillors are doing their utmost to push through a scheme for a proposed skateboard park for the lower half of the same playing fields.

Do they think then that all the vandalism, health and safety issues and litter dropping will stop when they have provided this facility? Don't they think this new equipment just might lead to a substantial claim against the council should some poor youngster hurt himself seriously? Would any claim be paid from Bromyard taxpayers' money for our councillors lack of foresight?

I also don't hear the councillors setting aside money for repairs and upkeep of this site or the electricity bills that will need to pay for the floodlighting. I only hear them state to the concerned nearby residents that the 'skateboarders are good kids and they will ensure that the area is self policed and looked after'.

Come on councillors wake up and smell reality. You can't spend £35,000 on a play area for 10 per cent of the young male population just to get them off the streets when the rest of Bromyard have been pleading for a swimming pool for years and years which will benefit the whole community.

It's about time we saw real action for some of the real priorities and concerns in Bromyard.

ANDREW PACK, Old Road, Bromyard.