I THOUGHT we lived in a democratic state with open government. I value being consulted by our council on local issues. Most recently, we were asked for our views on the Huntingdon West Area Action Plan. We were asked to express a preference for three shad

I THOUGHT we lived in a democratic state with open government.

I value being consulted by our council on local issues. Most recently, we were asked for our views on the Huntingdon West Area Action Plan. We were asked to express a preference for three shaded areas on prioritising: employment, housing or open space.

Before the closing date of this consultation, June 5, and before our elected members had the time to digest and consider the results of this consultation, announcements had been made that permission had already granted to relocate Huntingdonshire Regional College to the open space at the police headquarters sports field, one of the areas included in the consultation, with plans to build more housing on the college site adjacent to that already planned for what was the college sports field in the 1970s and 80s, under the Oxmoor regeneration plans.

What is the true value of all of this consultation? Faceless people appear already to have decided on the expansion plans for our town.

Dare I facetiously suggest that all future consultations be abolished and the savings put to putting all the cock ups in order such as: providing access to the sports complex up Kings Ripton Road, allowing the developers to construct a balancing pond on Spring Common because they failed to make plans for the rain water?

We have bus lanes for buses with no passengers, and plans to concrete over another sports field to make way for a car park when suitable land under the railway viaduct goes unused.

If we wish to live in a place where the elected take little notice of the electorate, we should perhaps change the name of our town from Huntingdon to Harare.

ALLAN BROCKLEBANK

St John's Street

Huntingdon