IN answer to the letter from Councillor Maureen Dilley about dredging Shaftesbury Lake, there appears to be no awareness that a major mistake was made. The excuse that this operation was delayed by bad weather is pathetic as we all know that you cannot dredge lakes in wet weather and that it rains more in winter than summer.

This raises wider issues of concern: if the council is not willing to learn from its mistakes then little progress will be made. Instead of being defensive, Councillor Dilley should tell us what the budget was for this task and how much this has overrun. Mistakes like this result in the large rise in the council tax.

There is a culture in Swindon Borough Council not to learn from their mistakes that is putting the future of Swindon at risk.

BRIAN BURROWS

Fairlawn, Swindon