Failing in its duty (From Malvern Gazette)

Failing in its duty

11:22am Friday 6th July 2007 in Letters

IN response to your article (Ledbury Reporter, June 29) reporting a claim that the chairman of Ledbury Allotment Association is "obstructing the council's work in the search for allotments", I would like to comment that, from an outsider's point of view (i.e. I am not involved with either the allotment association or the town council), and having followed this ongoing saga through your newspaper over many months, I am disgusted and bewildered with what the council is saying.

Several opportunities have arisen over the course of many months for the council to fulfil its obligation and purchase land for use as allotments. Again, from an outsider's viewpoint, it appears the council has held up, prevaricated and pontificated that the right sort of land has not been forthcoming. The most recent (crackpot) idea is that land held by Persimmon near the football ground could be leased and used for allotments.

I doubt very much whether a housing developer will want to let a valuable parcel of prime house building land to the council for use as allotments.

The council would also do well to remember that while land costs money, it will remain a financial fixed asset as well as an asset to the wider community. I am now of the firm opinion that Ledbury Town Council is failing in its duties so much that it has resorted to name calling and personal back-biting.

Councillors should remain professional and should certainly not get into blaming the chairman of the allotment association, who as far as I can see, has done well to lobby the council and keep this issue in the public eye.

The council needs to take the lead and pay up for land that has long been fought for, and moreover, that it is obliged to provide.

EDWARD HOGAN, Harlequin Close, Ledbury.