WHEN there was a decision a few months ago to find a new home for the Wiltshire Records Office, Chippenham put in a strong bid.

Records show that 60 per cent of visitors to the present Records Office in Trowbridge come from outside the county. Good transport is vital for those seeking to consult the archives.

Chippenham's bid, which was supported by the town council and North Wiltshire District Council, laid out a list of the advantages of coming to our town.

We have an ideal brownfield site, owned by North Wiltshire District Council, ready for re-use, which is only two minutes' walk from the train station, with services to London, Wales, Devon and Oxford as well as Trowbridge and Melksham.

The site is less than ten minutes by road from junction 17 on the M4. Chippenham is on the A350 which is the main north-south route through Wiltshire and the town is the focal point for bus and coach services in north Wiltshire.

All this makes it a most convenient location for visitors.

There are other advantages. Chippenham's museum and heritage centre attracted 18,000 visitors in its first year, and is set for a second successful year.

On the town's doorstep are the Fox Talbot Museum, Lacock Abbey and fine villages like Castle Combe and Biddeston; gardens by Capability Brown, historic churches and plans for a prestigious hotel.

Wiltshire County Council met last week to consider bids from Swindon, Trowbridge, Chippenham and Devizes.

The final choice, made in secret by the county's policy committee, was Devizes, with Chippenham second.

We work hard to promote our town and know what it has to offer. We find it hard to believe that it was judged on a level playing field. Compared with Devizes, Chippenham is clearly more sustainable, convenient and cost-effective.

It would be interesting to know how the county's policy committee came to its decision.

JUNE WOOD

District and town councillor

Chippenham