THE latest letter from the chief executive of West Dorset District Council, David Clarke, to Bridport Town Council is the latest in a long line of blows to local democracy meted out by the district council, and an unacceptable snub to the people of Bridport and the town council which fights so hard on their behalf.

We have been contacted by dozens of people who are angry and incredulous at this.

Apparently it was not sufficient that the townspeople of Bridport have had to witness the plans for St Michael’s Estate, which were rejected by West Dorset’s own planners, 584 members of the public, English Heritage, local conservation groups and the town council, being passed.

Ignoring the precedents of joint consultations on the Flaxhayes development and the New Zealand site, ignoring all the requests that this plan should have been developed using the ‘stakeholder panel’ approach which would have given true democratic input into what is the most crucial development in Bridport for a generation, ignoring both the letter and the spirit of the Localism Act, Bridport Town Council have effectively been told to keep their noses out of this planning application from now on.

Apparently it is nothing to do with us. As one resident put it - “How very dare they?”

COUN MARTIN RAY Leader, Bridport Town Council COUN DAVE RICKARD Chairman, Bridport Town Council