THE £8M upgrade of Swindon’s sewer system in readiness for two big new housing developments represents money well spent.

Swindon’s history, like that of many other communities across the country in recent decades, has featured instances of housing and infrastructure being built in the wrong order, or else infrastructure proving inadequate once the housing was occupied.

It is therefore encouraging to hear that Thames Water’s upgrades in Swindon include not only standard provision for well over 5,000 houses but also - in the case of Wichelstowe - take into account the issue of flooding.

The last thing anybody wants to see, especially if they happen to be residents, is their neighbourhood awash with water or worse if there is an extended period of heavy rain.

People have a right to expect that the basic necessities of life, such as utilities, will be installed and made adequate for demand long before the first set of keys is handed over.

The £8m investment is money well spent for another reason: it will surely be paid back many times over by the people who eventually move into the new houses and become customers.

Let us hope that other infrastructure providers will follow the water company’s example, and ensure every utility is adequate for the job in hand plus worst case scenarios, and that a similarly far-sighted approach will be taken by those in charge of providing shops, schools and other community facilities.