I recently attempted to launch a community asset transfer to save Court Mills as a vital community facility for Trowbridge. The value that Court Mills provides, be it as part of Spark, the Learning Curve’s Prince’s Trust TEAM Programme, or other community groups, is one that will be greatly missed by the people of Trowbridge. We risk losing these services altogether in Trowbridge, as neither the Civic Hall nor the Town Hall are able to provide the same level of community service that Court Mills does.

It has now come to my attention, however, that the disposal of Court Mills was identified as far back as 2009 to fund the “hub office” programme, and it is thus not available for asset transfer. This means that one of Trowbridge’s vital community assets is being used to fund office construction and refurbishment across Wiltshire, and cannot be saved for the community. A vitally important Trowbridge asset is being used to fund work in other towns.

The disposal of Court Mills leaves a massive hole in the provision of community space in Trowbridge.

We have always been told that the role of Court Mills would be delivered instead via the Trowbridge Community Campus, but this has yet to materialise. The Area Board signed off the consultation last September, and yet there has been no progress since then. When is the campus going to be built? Where is it going to go? Where is the money coming from? What are the many community groups who use Court Mills supposed to do until then?

Yet again,Trowbridge misses out. Our town needs stronger representation in the heart of Council decision making.

Chris Auckland, Lockeridge Close, Trowbridge.