For six months, the Oxford Mail, and its sister papers The Oxford Times, and Witney Gazette, have encouraged the people of Witney, and the wider community, to believe that Oxfordshire County Council has entrusted the future of Cogges Manor Farm Museum to a community enterprise group that will take over the running of the facility from April 2010.

The Cogges Community Enterprise (CCE) group’s bid beat 20 commercial contenders, and was welcomed by the county council last September as a “breath of fresh air” – but has since been quietly rejected by the council.

Instead, the council has decided to create a new trust to run the site.

The CCE’s steering group has accepted that this is a sensible way forward, and some have chosen to work with OCC to help ensure that the new trust recognises the CCE’s vision and values. But there is no guarantee that any of its suggestions or ideas will be accepted.

John Jackson, from the council, announced at a public meeting in Witney, last September, that the CCE’s bid was by far the best bid received.

You subsequently reported that the council had been “inspired by the vision of the CCE group” and had decided to “hand over control” so that the museum would have a “fresh start”.

In November it was reported that the council’s cabinet would set up a new trust “to work with the scheme put forward by the CCE group.”

Last month Martyn Brown, County Heritage and Arts Officer, defended the CCE’s business experience and stated that its ideas for the new Cogges “demonstrate an exciting and fresh vision for the site” – but did not mention that the CCE may not be involved in its future.

The county council may want the people of Witney to believe it has listened to the community and is working closely with the CCE group to create a better Cogges.

Although there is some genuine support within the council for the CCE’s vision, the truth is that the community bid was rejected and the CCE is not involved in planning the future of Cogges.

If the community truly wants the new Cogges to be a centre for sustainable living and culture, it must act now to ensure that its voice is heard.

The council needs to be honest with the community, and with the CCE Group which has put a lot of effort into creating the exciting new vision they claim to want to implement.

JOHN LETTS, Committee member, Cogges Community Enterprise Group, Witney