FOLLOWING the correspondence regarding the Community Charge for next year and the gimmick proposed by Councillor Bawden (consultation with the people), which he is stated as saying he will not necessarily agree to.

I have a few suggestions to make in order to bring back money into the coffers of SBC.

They are:

Sell Lydiard House & Park. This has got to be one of the biggest white elephants ever.

Sell Swindon Services. Employ private contractors and there would be some control over them.

Pull out of the Steam Museum. Another project which is soaking up money that we can ill afford.

Make a more vigorous effort to collect money owing to SBC.

I am not a member of the Forum that you described in the EA (10/12/03).

But I am a member of the Fairness for Pensioners group being ably headed by Frank Avenell and we are co-operating with the national 'isitfair' campaign, which in turn is being supported by the Royal British Legion, Age Concern & Help the Aged, in order to keep the increases down particularly to help Pensioners and the low paid.

R G Sheppard

Drove Road

Swindon