We’ve recently read the sad news that Melksham is set to lose another farm to new houses. What’s most disappointing is, this was inevitable. So, how do we stop this happening again?

For the last three years, Terry Chivers and the Liberal Democrats have aggressively targeted anyone that has agreed with building on the concrete George Ward site. By doing this, they’ve forced the houses onto farmland instead. The tragedy is that Shurnhold Farm is set to be covered in 275 houses while the George Ward site remains an empty, concrete mass.

We know Melksham has to take a quota of new homes and this will be a challenge for us all. To make it work, we need honest leadership, not political pointscoring. Two years ago, I wrote to your paper and said that we need our councillors to work with residents and builders to make sure new homes are fit for our town and villages. Terry and the Liberals haven’t done this, so developers are finding ways of avoiding them, leaving Terry and the Liberals increasingly isolated and powerless.

The result of this fight is that it’s Melksham that has ended up with a bloody nose. So I appeal to Terry; put the gloves back on and work responsibly with local builders and planners, to get the best deal for our town and villages. Melksham deserves nothing less.

Ben Anderson, Beanacre, Melksham.