Roy Phillips, of Carlton Place, Teignmouth, writes:

Regrettably, yet again those residents who objected to locating a skate park on Teignmouth's promenade are being unfairly castigated in your newspaper. The history, facts and the truth behind this 20-years-plus proposal and its final location and development have been lost and forgotten in this further outpouring of personal condemnation of so many of Teignmouth's seafront residents.

It remains a fact that when Teignmouth's present town clerk was Teignmouth's mayor, and a district councillor, Cllr Vince Fusco and I asked him to a site visit to that area of land between the rugby club and Shaldon Bridge (all that was left of Milford Park). We considered that this was an ideal site for a skate park/BMX/ rollerblade complex.

Anyone knowing this area can see it is both large enough and diverse enough to accommodate these activities plus a small residential building.

That was our proposal more than 20 years ago and at a time when already for some years both Teignmouth town and Teignbridge district councils had been asked to provide such facilities.

Anyone interested in the truth need only refer back to the records of the town and district councils' meetings.

What is now referred to as a skate park on Teignmouth's promenade is, judgding by the majority who use it, a children's scooter park – which is great. This has only come about because the concern expressed by the many residents living on the seafront resulted in the subsequent development being toned down.

So, thanks to these protesters, we now have a wonderful children's scooter park/skate park replacing the former children's padddling pool. What is still needed is a skate/BMX/rollerblade area for teenagers and above.

For this, there is still the lower end of the Eastcliff car park, especially if the relevant councils and councillors get off their tail ends and designate the near end of the Upper Den Carriageway for restricted parking for coaches only. Coach companies such as Majestic bring in thousands of toursits to our town all year round.

As for the necessary funding, for once let the district council use some of the money it receives from selling Broadmeadow to pay for this facility in Teignmouth.

We do not want to see yet again proceeds from the sale of Teignmouth's assets going outside the town – like, I believe, the £300,000 for the Brook Hill site when the majority of councillors on both the town and distrfict councils decided to foist two Co-op stores on our town, thus driving out much of Teignmouth's weekly trade to Newton Abbot and Exeter. MORE LETTERS ONLINE