“Beware of the partisan groups who with their niche agendas will seek to stymie the Vision,” a Journal letter-writer was warned when first helping to create the plans for our new-look Market Square.

“Well it would seem the partisan groups have won out,” he adds. “The Vision has a hole in it and selfish vested interests have managed to push change off-course.” This is infuriating. If we’re a partisan group, why didn’t a fellow-member tell me? Where’s my copy of our niche agenda, and why isn’t my name on the vested interest mailing-list? Someone’s being selfish.

Another correspondent thinks it’s time to wake up the “sleeping majority” of Salisbury citizens, ie those who didn’t sign the petition against the Salisbury Vision plan to fell all the trees in the Market Square. After all, she says “11,000 is only a few out of 40,000-plus residents”.

The assumption there, of course, is that everyone else is in favour of the SV plan. That’s debatable, to put it mildly.

Seriously this over-the-top reaction, this playing the man and not the ball, is self-defeating. You don’t win support by dismissing those who disagree with you as misguided and disingenuous. We all have our own views, and they all carry equal weight. Right now we need a calm debate about how best to spend scarce resources, and when. Personally, it seems to me SV’s first priority should be the closure of the Churchfields industrial estate and its re-development for housing and the provision of tourist hotels. John Glen’s priority should be to push and push again for a Salisbury by-pass. And our councillors’ priority should be demanding the creation of a South Wiltshire District Council.

Salisbury Hospital Governors…

… are holding a public meeting for Foundation Trust members at the Methodist Church Hall in St Edmund's Church Street next Monday at 6-00pm.

The three of us (the others are John Carvell and Celeste Collins) will tell you about what we have done and are doing, and the possible implications of the Health Bill now going through parliament. It’s an important meeting, so please try to get there. If you’re not an FT member don’t worry: it’s free and you can join when you arrive.

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Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here