I AM not sure if it is political mischief- making or putting on a show of naivety that newly-elected Tory Councillor Barry Chapman is trying to achieve in his letter (June 27). I will try to clarify the confusion that his letter must have caused to your r

I AM not sure if it is political mischief- making or putting on a show of naivety that newly-elected Tory Councillor Barry Chapman is trying to achieve in his letter (June 27).

I will try to clarify the confusion that his letter must have caused to your readers.

Some months prior to the local elections the Lib Dems here in St Neots circulated a survey to each house in the town. This survey was also posted on our local Lib Dem web page. The survey was intentionally not politically weighted.

We asked the people of St Neots what they wanted for our town over the next four years. We listened to what people told us and their concerns and aspirations. We then produced a manifesto of what we would try to achieve for the town over the next four years if we were elected.

We have been elected and the manifesto now forms the basis of our plan in the development of our town. Cllr Chapman is confusing this futurist Lib Dem vision with a town plan. He knows very well that a town plan is a consultation paper involving all residents, groups, businesses, schools and interested parties in the town. The results of this consultation could take a year to complete.

The town plan would then form the overall development of St Neots over the next 20 years or more. The purpose of a town plan is to attract funding from outside of the town. This could be from the district and county councils as well as, regional, European and Lottery funding for projects likely to be identified by that consultation.

It may help readers to make up their minds about Cllr Chapman's motives behind his letter if I tell them that he is on the committee that is discussing the town plan.

I would like to assure your readers and Cllr Chapman that the Lib Dems do not intend selling off the areas of land that he mentions in his letter, ie The Pightle, Eynesbury Pocket Park, the swimming pool, Sudbury Meadows or Priory Park, for the very simple reason that the town council does not own any of them. They are all administered by other authorities or trustees - a fact that Cllr Chapman, as a town councillor, is, or should be, fully aware of.

Cllr Chapman then suggests that HDC "couldn't have been more supportive" to try to promote a cinema in St Neots. He is also aware, being a member of the town council, that HDC has said not one word in support of a cinema in our town. Perhaps he would like to share his intimate inside knowledge with us all? It would certainly help St Neots to achieve a cinema if he could supply us with the name of any officer at HDC who supports the idea.

The elections are over, and I would urge Cllr Chapman to work with all other elected councillors to make positive contributions to the future of St Neots and respect the views of our electorate instead of trying to confuse your readers.

Councillor DEREK GILES, Eaton Socon Ward, St Neots