MUCH has been said and written about the prospects of the construction of a canal from a point west of the town through the centre.

Public opinion appears to be divided between those who think this is a good idea, and those who think it complete madness.

Perhaps it is now time for someone in authority to answer the disturbing questions that arise, and go some way to allaying the fears of us sceptics.

We have been told how attractive canals are in London, Birmingham and Reading etc, but these canals are restorations of redundant routes that were already an integral part of a canal network. Has any town or city seen fit to dig up a vital traffic artery to replace it with a water course, and if so, what were the consequences?

Can this be a sensible option for the western side of this town, given that 4,000 houses, just for starters, are still to be built in the western sector, and how will traffic be re-routed into the town centre and beyond?

So far as we have been informed, the water course - hardly a canal - will run from a point around Mill Lane to a marina located in the town centre, with apparently no prospect of a link with a canal network. It is not out of the question, that a trip along this two mile stretch could be an attraction if boats could be transported there and launched, but at what cost, particularly to the residents who would have to bear the brunt of a situation brought about by potential traffic chaos?

Then there is the financial outlay. The quoted figure is £50m, but come the commencement of the project, that figure is likely to be in the region of £100m. Moreover, does anyone know of a project that on completion has not gone over budget by two of three times?

Years ago, it was decided to fill in the Swindon canal through the town, as the arrival of the railway had made the water course redundant.

Further changes in transport, brought about by the adaptability of buses, saw the removal of the tram system.

They say history repeats itself, and now some cities are bringing back canals and trams.

If we were to be given a choice here, I think that us sceptics would overwhelmingly opt for the tram unless there is someone who could persuade us otherwise.

R E BURCHELL.

Swindon