I AM saddened at the Bournemouth council’s refusal to approve the old Lucas unit being turned into an indoor skate park for the kids in the community to use. We keep hearing from the government about communities and how they want them to re-emerge.

Well perhaps the government should have put a call into Bournemouth council and told them what they are doing wrong. A golden opportunity was missed here because: 1. The kids would be off the streets; 2. They would be doing some well needed exercise, instead of sitting in front of games consoles; 3. Parents would know where their children were; 4. A unit would be in use and not going to rack and ruin; 5. It would bring a community together.

I feel sorry for Tony Hill and Peter Broadhead after all their hard work trying to do something for the kids.

They have been knocked back because they have been told the unit can only be used for business and industrial use. Come on, common sense has to be used here.

Give the kids somewhere to go and enjoy themselves, or maybe some of the people at the council have forgotten how to do that and that they were once kids too.

STEVE BREWSTER, Verity Crescent, Poole