Swindon Council is reviewing provision for skateboarders in a major report to go before the Equalities, Community and Health Commission on 17 December. Whether the council has the cash to go ahead with building sites across the town remains to be seen.

But, hopefully, youngsters in West Swindon will have somewhere to skateboard by Christmas. In a recent presentation to the West area panel councillors, Martin Hawes from the west education and community team, described a pilot project supervised by trained youth workers and volunteers to run on three sessions a week in the Link Centre coach park. Funding would be provided from under spent budgets resulting from unfilled youth work positions.

He told councillors that far from being a fad, skateboarding has been around for years and youngsters are desperate for somewhere to go. He added that skateboarders would be involved in building ramps for the Link Wheels project. They would be inspected to RoSPA standards and locked away when not in use.

At a meeting the evening before, local youngsters reacted enthusiastically to the idea. "We've been asking for decent places to skate and use bikes for years and the council have done nothing," said one.

Parent Dawn Tremblin from Freshbrook said she hoped the project will be successful. "The kids need somewhere safe to go where they won't always be moved on."