WHETHER the residents of west Wiltshire have an east or west Westbury bypass, or more unnecessary road building in Trowbridge, or more unwanted houses built on open fields, is apparently not open to discussion.

At least not with the Wiltshire County Council.

They have said publicly in committee that they know better than the rate-paying residents, that the government inspector was not as well informed as they are (whose fault was that?) and if they waste time actually planning things properly they will lose out on government grants. Is this the way to run a county council?

We are told that balancing the accounts depends on these government grants. Why then, with all the new income generated by rates from thousands of new houses, and before the expense of any new roads, have local rates rocketed?

When the leader of the council accused the electorate of not all singing from the same hymn sheet, should she have included the council in that irreverent opinion?