I feel that Coun Ray Taylor deserves a reply to his letter (letters, March 31) enquiring about the attitude of the Devizes Guardians to representation on the county council as well as on the district council.

Since the district council elections of 2003, we have experienced a lack of understanding by the county council of the transport problems of Devizes, and a pronounced resistance to alleviating any of Devizes' concerns about traffic and parking policy.

In particular, the County highways authorities seem irresponsible in raising no objection to multiple large scale housing developments in the London Road corridor; in refusing to investigate the effects on the traffic; and in failing to attend to housekeeping matters like mending the roads and pavements, instead of wasting funds on things like canal lighting and Brickley Lane cycleways that few people want.

The reality has come home to us, that Wiltshire has absolute power in these matters, and that only by the Guardians seeking membership of the county council shall we in Devizes have any influence on their behaviour. It is for these good reasons that our attitude has changed, as Coun Taylor correctly points out.

Jeff Ody

Kennet District councillor

Devizes South