I WAS astonished to read in the Shuttle/Times and News last week that Wyre Forest district councillors are proposing to ask consultants to prepare a business case, costing thousands of pounds, to build a new civic centre on a single site.

Presumably the new centre will cost millions of pounds to build.

Who on earth resurrected this matter, which has been raised on a number of occasions in the past and shelved? And now, when council tax charges are going through the roof and there is far less need for a change, it has been raised again.

For many years council staff have had access to an excellent computer and internal telephone system, making it unnecessary to have a single building. And, I would imagine, most members of the public try to avoid calling at the council offices, given the chronic parking problems and high parking charges, preferring to use the telephone instead.

However, the million dollar question is - where is this new civic centre to be built?

For years now there has been an acute shortage of building land within the area of the former Kidderminster borough, and we have all seen houses being built on every scrap of available land, even on former garden areas.

Where will acres of land be found in Kidderminster to build the new centre with hundreds of parking spaces?

Councillors would be better employed in trying to save council taxpayers' money rather than spending it on a white elephant building that will burden not only present council taxpayers, but future ones as well, given the way capital projects are financed in local government.

GERALD WILLIAMS

Spencer Street, Kidderminster