Swindon's one and only undoubted national and international claim to fame is its railway history.

Steam is the pre-eminent local authority specialist railway museum in the country and appeals to people of all ages. It is a great credit to the town.

It houses a number of important locomotives on behalf of the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI) including King George V and Caerphilly Castle.

But because the museum is tucked away, there is a serious danger that local people will forget about it if not constantly reminded.

Also, if the visitor numbers per year can be increased by 25 per cent from 120,000 to 150,000, it will be allowed to put advertising signs on the motorway.

It has received a multi-million pound Lottery grant which presumably would have to be repaid, with far reaching consequences, if the museum were forced to close. In short, this is indeed a major issue for the town which cannot be ignored.

I would suggest that the following needs to be done:

Firstly, convert the directional signs off roundabouts reading Outlet Centre to Outlet Centre and Steam.

Secondly, allow people to void their parking fee by presenting their parking ticket at Steam: the £5.70 admission charge is surely quite enough to pay.

Thirdly, reach swift agreement with BAA McArthurGlen and Carillion over the remaining development of the Churchward site; this has been dragging on for far too long and has been extremely damaging not least with regard to publicity on site.

Fourthly, provide some form of ride, that all visitors to Churchward will both hear and see.

Fifthly, bring back into use the Mechanics Institute and the former GWR Museum buildings, so enabling a real railway history trail.

And sixthly, provide a quick and frequent link between station, the Brunel Shopping Centre and Churchward by an imaginative new form of transport probably Ultra Light Transit.

Finally, this is not only the responsibility of the council. For the sake of the town we must all play our part, in particular local businesses.

NEIL BUTTERS

Tithe Barn Crescent

Swindon