I refer to a letter from Mr Staples (EA July 25) appealing for an end to artists' impressions of future town centre visions and his despair of ever seeing anything done in his lifetime.

I can assure him that there are many people in the town who hold the same views, and constantly despair of what seems a chronic inability, not only to get things done, but to get things moving

As if to confirm this, I have just read that the plan for hotel and leisure facilities to bring vitality to the Churchward estate is unlikely to proceed.

Unfortunately, this is not just a case of another plan biting the dust, as it will leave the troubled Steam museum still isolated in a barren and desolate landscape. There is apparently a plan for an adjacent piazza, not tomorrow of course, but soon.

Visitors to this town centre must be astounded to see old and concrete structures of the 60s still in place, where in neighbouring towns they have long since been demolished and replaced.

In this way, Reading has made great strides, and Basingstoke has undergone an an unbelievable transformation with a new state-of-the-art bus station and a 1,400 capacity concert hall as the icing on the cake.

Here, we are faced with a 30 year vision, a town structure plan and more recently a Swindon Regener-ation Company all formed to create as if you didn't already know an exciting and vibrant town centre.

There are meetings, discussions and the obligatory workshops for our input, when the frustrating and overwhelming message is get on with it.

It is certainly ironic, in the light of ongoing consultations, that what is going ahead in the town centre at breathtaking speed is against the wishes of the people.

The construction of flats on every available town centre space is something that residents know will lead to gross overcrowding and the appalling problems that go with it.

Small wonder that there is apathy over town centre regeneration. This might be alleviated if only people could witness something that was specifically planned actually started and finished.

Perhaps this could be the long awaited library.

As a financial commitment has already been made, a speedy completion to the project is crucial or, in true fashion, spiralling costs due to delay will bring with it unpleasant consequences.

Finally I would reassure letter writer Mr Staples and all those who despair of anything being done, there are those who see a future Swindon centre as like Dublin or Zurich and even likely to be in the running for European city of culture.

In the words of a well known journalist you couldn't make it up.

R E BURCHELL

Swindon