When much of the rural economy of northern Wiltshire is put at risk by a half-baked project as extremely controversial as the Chippenham Record Office relocation, alarm bells have to ring in earnest.

With the farming economy still slowly recovering from BSE and foot and mouth disease, for Wiltshire County and Swindon Borough Councils to force the closure of one of the few remaining livestock markets is a massive kick in the teeth.

Why should the successful Chippenham livestock market be forced off the Cocklebury Road site just to satisfy the self interest of the Chippenham and North Wiltshire Group who dominate the County Council Cabinet?

Surely it is time for the county council to face reality. Forcing farmers to make the long, expensive trip to Bristol just so they can build the new Record Office where record office users have overwhelmingly said they don't want it, is the politics of the madhouse.

Time and again the Cocklebury Road site has been shown to be totally unsuitable for the record office. It is the wrong project in the wrong place.

Are the egos of the current county council administration so huge that they would rather drive Wiltshire farmers out of business than admit they are wrong?

C G. Gale

Potterne