Tory Vacancies on Planning Beggars Belief

2.49.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 3rd Oct 2007

Letter to the Bucks Free Press published 21st September 2007

Dear Editor,

Over four months on from the 3 May Chiltern District Council Elections, there are still two Conservative vacancies on the Council's planning committee.

At a time when the Chilterns are under intense Whitehall and developer pressure, it beggars belief that the Conservatives cannot fill their allotted seats on this all important committee. In terms of our local environment and quality of life, the planning committee has a key role.

But having struggled to find candidates to fight seats, the Conservatives are now struggling to find willing councillors to fill crucial committee posts. This is a sad reflection of the demoralised state of local traditional Conservatives under David Cameron's leadership.

Over the summer, the Conservatives claimed in a door to door leaflet that their re-election in May was a vote for "honesty and service." But local people surely deserve better "service" than this. The Planning Committee is one of the key bodies of the District Council. If Conservative councillors cannot be bothered to sit on it, they should make way for Liberal Democrats and others in the community who will.

Yours sincerely,

Seb Berry

Chiltern Liberal Democrats