Corran Halls site is not suitable for skate park

Sir, As a frequent visitor to the area of Oban in front of the Corran Halls which has been suggested as a possible location for a skate park, the sight of visitors and locals sitting on the grass always impresses me.

I often see couples and families having picnics, enjoying the views over the sea to the Sound of Kerrara, Lismore, Mull and Morvern, and watching the parade of ferries, fishing boats, yachts and cruise ships passing through the narrows.

It is a very inappropriate site for a skate park, being adjacent to the war memorial. There is also a lovely family memorial in the park to the memory of two young fishermen who drowned not far from here while working. What would become of it?

Do we want Oban and its lovely bay and seafront to be turned into a Blackpool-type theme park?

There are plenty of opportunities for young folk to get involved in sport apart from their disruptive activities, such as football, rugby, angling, shinty and sailing, as well as all the facilities at Atlantis. And there is community work.

If we consider skateboarding and BMX biking to be sport, there is spare ground at Atlantis between the children’s play area and the car park that could provide an area to accommodate the activities and bring them under the Atlantis sporting umbrella.

Another possible site is where there was a skateboarding facility between Mossfield and the rugby park but, unfortunately, this was vandalised and burned to the ground some years ago.

Also the proposals for the lovely green at the Corran Halls, lovingly tended colourful displays by our town gardeners and also adjacent to a war memorial would be inappropriate.

Tam Robertson, Laurel Crescent, Oban.