That's a pity.

There is no question that a facility like the one envisaged would be a major attribute. Not just for the town, but for the region.

But after the collapse of the original funding arrangements, there was never going to be widespread support for new proposals that depend upon selling off six acres of the park to a housing developer.

It remains the situation that Berry Hill already has a history as a successful athletics venue. And it has the potential to be a great one, perhaps even with Olympic-standard facilities as envisaged by those behind the proposals.

Finding a way of making this happen without compromising the essential integrity of the parkland setting should remain a priority.

But such a grandiose scheme can never become reality without money - a great deal of it.

In the absence of future offers of grant-aid funding, or an extremely wealthy benefactor, some sort of commercially-based arrangement may turn out to be the only possible way forward.