THE treatment of your correspondent, Mr Robert Hayter’s, friend by Wiltshire Council is lamentable.

However, Mr Hayter wrongly attributes the responsibility for turning down his friend’s application to Devizes Town Council.

The Shambles are, and always have been, operated by Wiltshire Council, who also set the policy on, for example, tenancy terms and hours of operation and also take responsibility for its upkeep.

NIGEL CARTER, Town councillor, Devizes North