Phil Woolas MP
Minister of State
Department for Communities and Local Government
Eland House
Bressenden Place
London
SW1E 5DU

Dear Minister

Unitary Authority – Wiltshire Bid

Further to my earlier correspondence, I now enclose for you a news release from the Chief Executives of Kennet, Salisbury and West Wiltshire District Councils.

It is a measure of the damage being done to local government in Wiltshire that these three distinguished Chief Executives have felt it necessary to react ‘furiously’ to a press notice issued by the Chief Executive of Wiltshire County Council.

Whatever the outcome of Wiltshire Count Council’s adventure into empire-building, great damage has already been done both within the local government service in Wiltshire and within the wider communities served by local governments.

In my view the campaign by Wiltshire County Council has now got completely out of hand – indeed, desperate.

In these circumstances, I hope that you and the Secretary of State will conclude that it would be quite inappropriate to take this bid any further.

Yours sincerely,