KENNET'S chief executive Mark Boden claims that an apparently damning internal document that came into the hands of the Gazette this week was unfortunate because of its timing.

The internal newsletter of the district council's community development section says top council officers did not want the public to know Marlborough's tourist information centre was to close.

It also shows that officers expected the proposed Sunday parking charges in Marlborough to make a profit for the council a direct contradiction of what the council's chief executive Mark Boden has said.

Two weeks ago Mr Boden stood in front of a crowded public meeting in Marlborough and gave an assurance that the council would only break even by the time wardens had been paid.

Mr Boden's assertion that the controversial Sunday parking would be "cost neutral" differs from the view of Kennet's community services chief officer Alan Houghton in the newsletter that found its way into the hands of anti Sunday parking charges campaigner Val Compton.

Mrs Compton is forwarding the newsletter to the Local Government Ombudsman, together with her complaint of maladministration by Kennet over both the TIC and Sunday parking issues.

The newsletter was published in June, a month before Kennet issued a press release saying it was planned to relocate the Marlborough TIC to the Local Information Point in the town library.

Yesterday Mr Boden said the information in the newsletter was accurate at the time it was printed.

He said the officers involved in the Sunday parking charges proposals were at that time talking of the off- street car parks in the town being included.

It was subsequently decided by the council that only the central High Street parking area would be covered.

Under a heading of TIC Review the newsletter stated: "The restructuring is not intended to be made public until after the final implementation of the restructure. Any problems about whether or not the public is allowed to know about the proposed closure should be discussed with the council's public relations officer Diana Ralls."

Mr Boden said that although the wording was unfortunate the text was correct because discussions on the redundancy of the TIC were still taking place at that time. He said: "It is normal employment policy not to go public until you know what is going to happen to the individuals involved."

On Sunday parking the newsletter said: "The expected revenue these charges will create was unknown but the importance of revenue raising car parking to the town and Kennet District Council can not be emphasised enough.

"Alan (Houghton) suggested the money raised from the scheme could be put to good use in community development projects and the group should start thinking about how best to use the money."