Eastleigh Borough Council funding for the commercial development or purchase of land at the Rose Bowl may be legal but is it moral, financially justifiable and is it backed by council tax payers?

Public sector borrowing is already at record levels, and Britain’s, Europe’s and the whole world’s economies are in a mess due to excessive borrowing.

The council could increase local public sector borrowing to fund a project which sounds like it is already in financial difficulty.

Is there not also a conflict of interests if the council takes ownership of a commercial property and then oversees the planning process for that facility?

The multi-million pound investments like those being considered by the Liberal Democrat-led council should be put to the vote in a local referendum and not just nodded through by councillors.

This vast financial commitment could risk public capital for years.

Future council tax payers and the future council could be responsible for the debt should this risky speculative investment go wrong.

MR CS POINTER, Eastleigh.