AN overwhelming rejection by residents of Whitehill Town Council plans for a skateboard ramp in Jubilee Park has forced the council to look at other possible sites.

A survey revealed that the majority of residents living near the park did not want a ramp to be built there.

They feared the facility would attract under-age drinking and drug taking and create noise which would affect neighbouring homes.

Town mayor Neil Ockenden and committee chairmen Basil Smith and Don Mayes will now undertake a review of potential sites for the facility.

Fifty-two questionnaires were sent out by the council but at Monday's full council meeting, councillors heard only 21 replies had been received.

Of those who replied, 14 residents were against the plans and only seven were in favour.

Planning and amenities committee chairman Basil Smith said the results of the survey could not be ignored.

"I think that we should review other sites because there is strong opposition to it and concern about it."

Councillors were horrified that residents were suggesting that the majority of the youngsters in Bordon and Whitehill were involved in under-age drinking and drug taking.

Neil Ockenden said the poor view of the youth of today was "a sad indictment".

"My experience of the youth, on the whole, is very pleasing. They are very intelligent and articulate."

He believed it was only a very small minority who indulged in the illegal pastimes of under-age drinking and drug taking.

Ian Dowdle dismissed fears that the ramp would attract gangs of youths, suggesting the people interested in BMX and skateboarding would only be high on adrenalin.

"If they they don't have their full faculties about them, there is no way they could take part in that activity."

Geraldine Wilson was worried that skateboarding would be a passing fad and a skate ramp would become "a wreck where people hang out".

But other councillors said that skateboarding and BMXing had been around for more than 30 years.

Chris Wain raised concerns about the safety of the skatepark in Jubilee Park, which she thought was too isolated. She said similar facilities in Alton were close to the leisure centre, where there were qualified first aiders close by if they were needed.

"Perhaps if it was somewhere closer to somewhere like Mill Chase Leisure Centre?"

Neil Ockenden said the delay was "a necessary evil" to make sure the skate park was positioned in an appropriate place.

The findings of the review will be reported back to the town council at a future meeting.