Still deadlocked on records office

But the signs are that members of Swindon's ruling Conservative group may be prepared to blink first in the row over whether the £7m project ends up in Swindon or Devizes.

Swindon Council's Conservative-dominated cabinet decided on Wednesday to restate its view that Swindon was the best home for the county records.

But it also named Devizes as its second choice for the new building a recognition that somebody has to give way if the project is to go ahead.

The county council's policy and resources committee decided earlier this month that Wharfside in Devizes was the best location for the new building.

And, as the county is putting twice as much money into the project as Swindon Council, its argument is most likely to count when both councils meet to make a final decision in the coming months.

Swindon Council leader, Mike Bawden (Con., Old Town and Lawn), said: "We are in the crazy situation where we must do a deal with the county, or we won't end up with a records office at all.

"The view we are taking is that our first choice is Swindon.

"But we are trying to be realistic and say that if we don't get Swindon, the county want to go for Devizes."

The trouble with Wednesday night's cabinet decision is that it can still be overturned at a meeting of Swindon council's ratifi-cation committee next week.

The Conservatives have just two of the five votes on that committee the same as the Labour group, which currently favours putting the records office in Trowbridge if not in Swindon.

And the Liberal Democrats, who have one vote next week, would rather the office went to Chippenham than both Devizes or Trowbridge.

Senior Labour councillor Keith Small (Western) said at a meeting on Tuesday that Devizes did not have good enough transport links to justify making it the record office's home.

But Liberal Democrat group leader Mike Evemy (Eastcott) said Chippenham was the next best choice, because it was the nearest venue to Swindon.