SO, Coun Philip Whitehead agrees that the amount of money Wiltshire Council spends on compensating people for damage and personal injuries caused by appalling roads is virtually identical (a bit more actually) with the special grants received from the Government to repair the said roads. 
He justifies this by claiming that the money comes from different sources, as if it makes any difference from which pot it may come.
That the money could be spent more wisely is exemplified by the example of The Parade in Marlborough. 
After frequent complaints about its appalling and dangerous condition, a team arrived and tarmacked the central parking area, but left the rest in its perilous state. 
It turned out that two different departments were involved. 
It’s clearly easier to get the Russians to talk to the Ukrainians than it is to arrange conversations between different rooms at County Hall.
What concerns me is Coun Whitehead’s apparent lack of concern for public safety. 
He does not challenge the fact that £869,000 has been paid out in compensation for personal injury over four years as a result of defective roads. 
(How could he? The figures come from his own department.) 
Add to this the considerable additional costs that must be incurred to the beleaguered NHS and through loss of work time, etc and the sum is bound to be much higher. I don’t think many people will be impressed with his response.
NICHOLAS FOGG
Wiltshire councillor and 
Marlborough town councillor