Picking up on Danny Hassell’s comments of the new council offices (Echo letters, May 18), I too can understand WDDC’s need for better offices but still have a few questions.

Firstly, why does the building have to be so large?

From the plans it appears to be larger than the premises at Stratton House and the current library together whilst existing Adult Education (shrinking anyway) is a few rooms and an office in Fordington.

Is my perception wrong in that?

Given the wasted corridor space in the old building, surely a modern ergonomically designed new one could be far smaller and rooms designed to be multi-functional.

Secondly, according to WDDC minutes, the idea for this particular proposal was first mooted in 2008.

At what stage was the input of £10m public money raised and when did the scale of the building become apparent?

I ask because the vociferous Lib Dems only started complaining when Sue Farrant made it an election issue in 2010.

Could they not have alerted us to it earlier whilst there was still time to consider alternatives and veto public money being used to underwrite private developers’ risks?

Vicki Black, Chairman Dorchester and District Labour Party