HOW can St Nicholas Hospital seriously claim to be “duty bound” to sell off the meadows on Britford Lane to developers?

The trustees of a charity have many other duties, besides generating income. First and foremost, they have a duty to protect a charity’s reputation.

If this development goes ahead then the name of St Nicholas Hospital will forever be associated with the destruction of a beautiful green space close to the heart of our city.

In pursuing their charitable purpose, trustees also have a duty to consider the impact on the general public and to refrain from any action that would be significantly detrimental to the wider community. There can be no doubt that this development would have a seriously negative impact on Salisbury. Building on these fields will destroy a unique and timeless setting; will rob the local people of a precious green space; and will choke our city with yet more traffic and pollution. Not to mention the increased flood risk to East Harnham and the cathedral area.

Hundreds and hundreds of people from across Salisbury and beyond have united in their opposition to this development proposal. Yet St Nicholas Hospital continue to talk coldly of maximising their “investment”. St Nicholas is a charity, not a business.

In defending their decision to cash in, they are being highly selective about their duties as trustees. A successful, thriving charity must be a part of the local community – working alongside it, not against it. I appeal to the trustees of St Nicholas to listen to the people, salvage the charity’s reputation and abandon their plan to sell the meadows.

EMILY JOBBINGS Salisbury