I READ in last week's issue that Wiltshire County Council has applied for heritage lottery funding for the proposed new records office at Chippenham.

I am surprised a statutory body is even allowed to ask the lottery for money.

The lottery was designed to give funds to schemes for which there was no official funding clubs, village halls, causes of various sorts, and for the augmentation of the efforts of private groups to raise cash specialist care groups, youth clubs, sports clubs etc.

Funding a building, the cash for which should be provided from taxation, does not seem to be right.

The real cost of the building to the community is also concealed.

I am aware the government itself has already breached the dam by raiding lottery funds and I deprecate their action but do not think that should encourage every little jumped-up council department to try and get their hands on lottery funding instead of fighting for funding through the council's usual financial regimen. After all the council could always act as the rest of us do. If they cannot afford it, go without.

PJ LADD,

Budbury Place,

Bradford on Avon.