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

Another fairy tale

I see that Coun Renard is regaling your readers with yet another fairy story in which he cites the benefits of adopting a more up to date version of his administrations Waste Policy.

Many readers will recall how that in 2012 Swindon Commercial Services had been unable to secure funding from financial institutions and asked the Council to fund the development of a RDF/SRF plant at Waterside.

So high was the risk, the Council’s own procurement team, having read the SCS business plan, felt unable to recommend the proposal to the Cabinet.

In an unprecedented move the Section 151 officer declined to offer his support to the initiative, and the Cabinet Member for Finance abstained in the vote which ignored the advice of the Council’s client team and authorised the granting of a loan for the build costs of a plant which produced RDF and SRF (Solid Recovered Fuel).

In February 2014 Coun Renard claimed the plant would ‘soon be returning a profit’ – what he failed to say was that the council was using money from other solar schemes to subsidise the waste management programme. Hence in 2016 Council taxpayers were told SBC would have to find another £2.6m to make up a financial shortfall in the cost of waste disposal. How different from the claims made by the commercial director at SCS, that the council would likely save £16m over the course of their eight-year contract based on today’s landfill costs.

The Council’s ‘green credentials’ also depended on a forecast that 80 per cent of the RDF and SRF created by the plant would go to UK customers. Something which I doubt has happened given Coun Renard’s claim that the fuel is used by factories across Europe.

Des Morgan, Caraway Drive, Swindon

Can’t do the job

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has once again overruled the British parliament.

The ECHR has made the judgement that the British bulk surveillance powers set up in 2016 are illegal.

Keeping the public safe should always be the number one priority of any British government. Britain is in a constant struggle against terrorist attacks and those bulk interception powers are essential to that fight.

But the ECHR believes that human rights are more important than keeping the country safe.

We voted to leave the EU on 23rd June 2016. That was over two years ago but nothing has changed.

The ECHR is still preventing the British government from doing its job properly.

Steve Halden, Beaufort Green, Swindon

Profile too high

For the past three days you have not only written about but have featured large photographs of the Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Angus McPherson.

Police and Crime Commissioners are a Tory ideological fixation in trying to imitate the USA, whether it works or not. In the UK, there is no reason for having such Commissioners whose office is a further call on a police budget under stress and so takes funding from front line officers.

The argument that this increases accountability is fallacious as the elections for Police Commissioners produce the very lowest turnouts of any elections so they can hardly claim a popular mandate.

There was nothing wrong with having Police Committees made up of elected councillors from the police districts. They are far less costly and much more accountable.

I am sure that Angus is doing his best but is this publicity necessary? Is this part of an Advertiser campaign on behalf of the Commissioner or the principle of Police and Crime Commissioners? If so, then we should be told.

Tony Mayer, Wheatlands, Haydon Wick, Swindon

Flower power

To the lovely person who has added two beautifully knitted flowers to the arrangement on my bike basket - thank you. They are absolutely gorgeous.

Liza Lishman, Old Town