Sir,

Does Waitrose really have the right to impose full parking charges and change the historic footpaths on our town green?

That car park was always part of the registered green, designated a listed Grade II Historic Park, until incompetent councillors and dishonest officials who had changed the boundaries, gave it away to a greedy supermarket.

We fought this hard up to the CPS, through multiple objections and terrifying public enquiries facing their London barristers, but money speaks louder than morals and the councils wanted cash.

However the original footpaths and rights of way were concessions set in stone. What are our present councillors doing to preserve the little that is left of the 47,559 acre Chippenham Meadow, and its statutary rights, which was donated to the town in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria's jubilee?

While the 'Musing Mayor' enjoys her thrilling social round visiting kindergartens and care homes ever more of the town's traditional rights and gifts are eroded.

Why must we so often have expensive bye-elections to replace the shadowy figures who quit the ineffective town council within a year of local elections? At the risk of repeating myself, all candidates should stand as independents on personal merit and achievements.

Did either of the unknown candidates assuming the right to represent the Town Ward study the history and diminishing size of Chippenham Mead and campaign to save it?

Kirstie Buckland

(Monmouth)