"NO-CARBON development, green development and sustainable development is the path we should take.” Who said that? A spokesperson for the Green Party?

No – it was the vice-premier of China Zhang Gaoli speaking in Beijing on March 22 this year. At the same time, the head of China’s weather bureau was describing the initial impacts of climate change. He reported that China is suffering more extreme weather events and will have to adjust to falling crop yields.

And as food production in California dwindles under the impact of ongoing drought and unprecedented temperatures, President Obama has described climate change as the greatest threat facing mankind. The USA has pledged to cut CO2 emissions by at least 26 per cent (based on 2005 levels) by 2025 and by 80 per cent by 2050.

This is the context in which we need to consider the proposal for a 200-metre indoor ski slope at North Star, an outline of which can be seen at www.moiraicapital.co.uk/North_Star_Development .

Making snow, not surprisingly, requires a great deal of energy. Where is this energy to come from? From burning fossil fuels? Or maybe from another solar farm? How big would that farm have to be? We can accept that we need solar panels to keep the lights on, but do we want to lose productive farmland or much-loved countryside just so that we can go skiing indoors?

Because the process is so expensive in energy terms, ticket prices are high. A family of four spending two hours on the indoor slope at Milton Keynes at the weekend would have to cough up £135.

At that price I wouldn’t ever have taken my children. But in order to break even, the snowdome must achieve very high usage all day and every day. In 2012, SBC suggested the development (described as a “regional leisure destination”) might attract four million visitors a year. That would be nearly 11,000 visitors a day! How many of them would be coming from Swindon and how many from elsewhere by car via Junction 16? All those journeys will further clog up our roads and the petrol and diesel must be included in the CO2 cost of the snowdome.

Whichever party is in power in Swindon after the elections, let’s hope they do some joined-up thinking. There is no point SBC encouraging solar power and renewable energy on the one hand if they give the green light to an indoor snow slope on the other.

The snowdome idea was first suggested 15 years ago. Let’s hope our councillors will have the courage to say we are now living in a profoundly changed world and the idea of a “regional leisure destination” featuring an indoor snow slope is entirely out of date. Surely we can find a leisure use for this site which will not undermine SBC’s plans to reduce the town’s CO2 emissions and mean better health and more fun for the families who actually live here.

JANE MILNER-BARRY Old Town Swindon