OUR mayor, Cllr Bob Barnes, expresses fears that developers may put forward unwelcome proposals for Ledbury.

Really? Is this the same Bob Barnes who assumed chairmanship of the neighbourhood plan when Cllr Liz Harvey failed to develop it in conjunction with the town plan?

Where is our town plan, which started in February 2012, by the way?

Did Bob Barnes as a town councillor or as a deputy mayor insist on this being delivered in a timely way?

Now after such delay he finds it beyond him to tackle the neighbourhood plan, and the project (at a cost of about £14,000 of our money) has been given to an independent consultancy to compile.

Apparently, this is going to take yet another year, but this is the opportunity given to us by government for communities to state what they want for their future development, one which local planners have to take into account when considering planning applications. It’s the vital ‘bit with the teeth’!

Unsurprisingly, supporters are deserting the neighbourhood plan group.

If ever the people of Ledbury should be challenging what is happening it is now.

Mary Baxter

Ledbury