PARISH councillors are girding themselves for the 21st century Battle of Roundway to defend their boundaries.

Devizes Town Council has applied to Kennet District Council to support an application to the Boundary Commissioners to reorganise the parish boundaries in the area.

It wants Roundway abolished and made part of a Devizes ward. Roundway village would become part of Rowde parish.

The town council points out that Roundway has no community hall, church, shop, post office, polling station or playing field. There has never been a parish council election in living memory.

The vast majority of new homes built or due to be built around the town are in Roundway parish but the town council is expected to provide services to support them. Most people who live in Roundway parish believe they live in Devizes.

The town council believes Roundway residents are deprived of having a direct say in the running of their town.

But Viv Alexander, chairman of Roundway Parish Council, believes that there is only one reason why Devizes Town Council wants to take over Roundway.

He said: "It wants to get more income because it is embarrassed by its high council tax. It has got the highest precept in Kennet, nearly twice as much as Marlborough."

Band D taxpayers are paying £952.65 this year, compared with £878.06 in Roundway.

In a consultation half of the Roundway electorate wanted to stay in the parish. Mr Alexander said: "We didn't meet anyone who desperately wanted a say in the running of Devizes. No-one wanted to pay more council tax. When it comes down to it, it is the pound in the pocket that makes a difference to the voter."

If the idea of having a boundary review is accepted by Kennet district councillors on December 4, when they discuss it at a meeting of the policy and finance committee, then the matter will go out to formal consultation. If that proves positive, Kennet will recommend the changes to the Boundaries Commission.