I have no strong view as to whether Sainsbury’s, Tesco or any other supermarket should be allowed to build a new branch in Marlborough. Sainsbury’s has distributed a letter to residents announcing the judicial review case they are mounting against approval of the Tesco planning application. I am astonished by the following statement in the letter: “Sainsbury’s identified a potential opportunity to build in Marlborough because of the lack of good quality, affordable food shopping in the town and the fact that the majority of residents were travelling to Swindon and elsewhere for their weekly food shopping.”

The statement that the vast majority of local people find it cheaper to spend money on bus fares or petrol to travel to Swindon to shop rather than shop locally, is ludicrous and simply not true. Their findings about local shopping habits are clearly not based on market research.

Harry Mitchell, Great Bedwyn.