PLEASE keep your letters to 250 words maximum giving your name, address and daytime telephone number - even on emails. Email: letters@swindonadvertiser.co.uk. Write: Swindon Advertiser, 100 Victoria Road, Swindon, SN1 3BE. Phone: 01793 501806.

Anonymity is granted only at the discretion of the editor, who also reserves the right to edit letters.

In fear of nuclear war

IN the 58 years I’ve been on this planet, I’ve never gone to bed wondering if I’ll wake up to the news that nuclear weapons have been dropped. I was only four years old when the Cuban missile crisis occurred, my main concerns back then were toys and learning to ride my bike.

With the advent of the new Trump administration, his first 100 days in power have been seriously worrying for the rest of the world.

If I happened to be living in South Korea right now my stress level would be going through the roof. It was bad enough having Kim Jong Un as a neighbour, but now we have a man in the White House who seemingly doesn’t have a clue about not only running his own country, but is also clueless on world affairs.

The North Korea situation is one that needs to be dealt with using extreme caution and delicate diplomacy of the highest order. This is not the time to use highly inflammatory language and threats of pre-emptive strikes.

He famously said in his election campaign that he knows more than the generals. I doubt he could even point to North Korea on a map.

Trump’s rhetoric is akin to hitting a hornets’ nest with a baseball bat. His failures on the home front to deal with things like healthcare, tax, immigration, the environment, and many other issues could all pale into insignificance if he ignites a nuclear war with North Korea.

TOM HORWAT, Upavon Court, Penhill, Swindon

Pay gap just isn’t fair

A BUSINESS park is to be built across fields at Gablecross. Good news for Swindon, but perhaps not so good news if you live in the neighbourhood or use the A420 daily for commuting to work.

The reasons the developer, DB Symmetry, gave for preferring this site to others in nearby towns was its location and employees in Swindon are paid on average 18.3 per cent less than in nearby towns.

The developer stated: employing staff in Swindon, opposed to Bristol, a company would save approximately £4,209 per employee per annum. If my sums are right a Swindon employee would be expected to earn a gross salary of £18,791, £8,209 below the national average wage.

I suppose you could argue house prices in Swindon are among the lowest in the West, and not so long back council tax was being kept at a reasonable level.

Now council tax in Swindon is among some of the county’s highest. Is it fair that an employee in Swindon has to pay several percentage points more of his/her disposable income in council tax than employees in neighbouring towns?

That’s not to mention having to pay a larger percentage of their disposable income in other indirect taxes such as VAT, but also expected to keep his/her streets clean for no remuneration.

WILLIAM ABRAHAM, Rodbourne, Swindon

Not doing our bit

IF not daily, certainly weekly, we are given dire warnings about global warming, vehicle exhaust pollution, worldwide deforestation and more recently, the need for us to produce more home grown food, should the crazy Brexit exercise result in price increases from our European cousins.

So is Swindon planning to do its bit to save the planet and our way of life?

No, we are planning to cover a huge area of good agricultural land with a giant warehouse distribution centre (SA 26/04/2017) and it isn’t even going to be rail connected to the highly publicised, environmentally friendly, soon to be electrified GWR.

Capitalism gone mad!

TERRY FLINDERS, Upper Stratton

Their sums were wrong

I REFER to the latest news that the cost of repairing drainage infrastructure at Waterside Park will cost almost £1m more than first predicted (SA 26 April).

To appreciate the magnitude of the costing error it should be borne in mind that the original costs were estimated at £1m but now requires a further £900,000.

Having been responsible for some large value projects during my working life I know there can be ‘unexpected issues’ for which a contingency or reserve is required. What I doubt is whether I would have been able to convince my board of directors that I got my figures wrong by almost 100 per cent.

Waterside Park is not an ‘unknown’ area - the council has owned and developed it over a number of years and should be conversant with every detail of its infrastructure.

Sadly local government too frequently copies its larger national counterpart in understating costs and exaggerating benefits.

I wonder what councillors might have said if a year ago they had been told the project would cost £2m and the council would have to borrow £1.4m.

This time around they will simply take Section 106 money (that leaves less to spend on other projects) and borrow a further £400,000 - it’s so easy to do when it’s not your money you’re spending.

DES MORGAN, Caraway Drive, Swindon

Funding for arms

NEIL Gammon (Apr 27) supports giving away 0.7 per cent of our national income in foreign aid.

Britain gives foreign aid to communist counties like North Korea.

That money does not go on food. It goes on nuclear weapons which North Korea now threaten to use against us.

I believe that we are all here for a purpose and that is to help British children, young families and the young generation make a good start in life here in our own country.

We are in an era of permanent austerity. We have much more important spending needs here in Britain before we give any more money away to communist dictatorships like North Korea.

STEVE HALDEN, Beaufort Green, Swindon