The county council claims that Swindon dictates that the proposed new record office be built in Chippenham, yet similar large urban areas formerly within Somerset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Kent and Sussex just a few examples from the south of England all have separate record offices.

So why doesn't Swindon build its own? Is it because the North Wiltshire cabal on the county council cabinet wants to offload the white elephant Cocklebury Road site that this deal has been done with Swindon?

Is it because it is cheaper for Swindon to let Wiltshire taxpayers fork out millions for a record office on their doorstep in Chippenham?

County council leader, Cllr Jane Scott is claiming that some of the funding for the new record office can come from Government grants and capital receipts. I thought Government grants were given for specific purposes such as roads and schools?.

What services are going to lose out so that Wiltshire's own Millennium Dome, the Cocklebury cock-up, (otherwise known as the new record facility), with costs rising rapidly and already well over £7m, can be funded?

Not long ago the WCC was claiming they had a capital shortage and might not be able to contribute to the Vision for Trowbridge. So where will these capital receipts for the new facility come from? From the selling off of the Trowbridge site, of course!

In other words, the county council propose to asset strip Trowbridge and use the money for the benefit of Chippenham!

DM Colcomb,

Roundway Park, Devizes.