REGARDING the letter from Carolyn Robb, I would like to add the following to the debate. Ms Robb is very articulate in her wording on the matter of the proposed skate park at St John s Road. We are also sick to death of reading letters from people who ar

REGARDING the letter from Carolyn Robb, I would like to add the following to the debate.

Ms Robb is very articulate in her wording on the matter of the proposed skate park at St John's Road.

We are also sick to death of reading letters from people who are both self-opinionated, self righteous, and have no understanding of the situation, and motivation behind our association.

For your information Ms Robb, our association enjoys a membership in excess of 100, which disproves your idea of only one member.

We are not, as you so wrongly put it, a "self appointed group" with no interest in the young.

For your enlightenment, we originally formed, not as you state, to be killjoys, but to work with the city council in providing these sorts of facilities for the younger people of our city, and to work towards finding a more suitable location that would not destroy an area of green where various activities were enjoyed by many people of all ages, and not something that is solely for the benefit of a few.

Your observations while you passed by the site the other day seem to be somewhat restricted.

First, the small part taken by the council to create a fantastic little, self-contained sports section actually amounts to more than 25 per cent of the original playing field.

Second, I have to agree you are correct that the field still has its old goal posts.

However, they have been relocated to such a position that has resulted in the football pitch being considerably reduced in size, and not being rectangular in shape.

We are sorry but, "nail the ice".....define please? We fail to understand why you should be applauding from the rafters East Cambs District Council.

For your information it is not the district council, but the City of Ely Council which is accountable for this development.

Now hopefully you fully understand who is responsible for this project, I can assure you Ms Robb, we are not carping at anybody from the sidelines or anywhere else for that matter.

We have always been up-front and honest in dealings with the authorities on this venture.

You write that this highly-vocal Mickey Mouse titled minority trumpets its claims over an acquiescent majority.

Where and who are the "acquiescent majority"? Are you their mouthpiece or are you the only one? I wonder?

Did you, Ms Robb, receive a copy of our original neighbourhood letter sent out to the local residents asking for their points of view on the situation?

If you did, why did you not respond with your perception on the issue? Or, as I suspect, are you one of those people who just can not be bothered, and then like to throw stones at those who endeavour to attain the local residents' wishes?

Well, contrary to your claim, we did properly petition local residents and ask for their opinions and views on this matter - we received 69 replies.

These replies, together with a formal petition, were then presented to the city council.

If you would like a copy of the original letter, you are very welcome.

I assure you, no question was, as you put it, "loaded", and it was in no way presented with any kind of "Doomsday scenario".

If, as I suspect, you were not in receipt of this document, then your letter only contains assumptions, and no facts whatsoever, on something you have never even read.

You may think it humorous, but in today's political climate, your reference to the Taliban and Freedom Fighters is in bad taste in the extreme, especially to the residents of Coveney and Wheatsheaf Close.

I have written to the editor of the Ely Standard on just one previous occasion, which was included in the Letters Page on May 25.

This was in response to a letter entitled 'Give children the freedom to play', published on May 18, and, yes we do have justification in writing to the council on issues concerning development and basic safety appertaining to the new skate park site in St John's Road.

I am pleased that you have been able to obtain literature on the Ely Youth Group's backing of project.

We asked for this at the outset of this project, but the city youth council, for whatever the reason, chose not to lay bare its views.

We are very pleased that you accept the fact that whatever they back is good enough for you. Do you know who they are?

We sincerely hope that your grandchildren will enjoy the facility when complete.

The way it is progressing, there is scepticism that if things do not change in the buildings programmes, it may not be ready in time for the Christmas holidays, let alone summer.

ART KELLEWAY

Friends of St John's Road Association