A few years ago my family and I joined hundreds of others and spent hours wading in mud on a freezing cold day to plant trees on the old Shaw tip.

We did so because we had been told we we would be creating a new country park a legacy for our children, and part of a new national forest. We felt that we were making a contribution to our future, putting something back into our community. Many people were planting the trees as a memorial in our case, to a friend who had just died in an horrific aircrash and there was a book where you could make dedications.

Now I find out that the trees may soon disappear under the concrete of Town's new stadium.

Our children will not inherit a forest, but yet another hotel and a car park.

I could talk about the deer, and the kingfishers, and the trout, and the badgers that all live in the park, but that would be missing the point. This is simply an enormous breach of faith. Why should we ever help the council again?

Swindon Town is an attraction that brings benefits to Swindon, but so are the large country parks only recently we were told by the council that they had to charge for parking at Lydiard because coaches were coming from as far away as Wales to visit.

I do agree that Town need a new home, and I am sure that many of the issues of traffic and noise can be resolved whatever site is chosen. But I find it hugely disappointing that the council has so little regard for its promises, or for the considerable effort put in by Shaw and Sparcells residents in trying to shape their community.

If this development does get council approval then I would invite all those who planted trees to join me in taking action against them.

The very least they can do is pay us for our time.

Steve Deeley

Sparcells