During the meeting, the town clerk referred on a number of occasions to decisions having been determined by the Liberal Democrat group prior to the council meeting, and on several occasions the Conservative members were denied permission to speak or only allowed to speak after motions had been block voted on by Lib Dem councillors. 
The electorate of St Neots now have no idea as to who is actually influencing how our money is spent.

The Lib Dem group may include candidates rejected by the electorate in May 2007 or other co-opted activists and interested parties.  
There are no published minutes of this group or record of its meetings, or indeed any opportunity to publicly oppose its proposals.  
Not surprisingly, when each item is put before the full council, Lib Dem councillors silently wait to follow their leader.
At district and county councils, democracy is protected through checks and balances built into the constitution referred to as "overview and scrutiny".  

These ensure openness and fair play. In St Neots, Lib Dem rule means important things are dealt with in secret and elected councillors liable to expulsion should they disclose details to press or residents.
Under Lib Dem rules, only Cllr Giles has a special right to be consulted by our town clerk. It is worrying therefore that it is Cllr Giles who will do the town clerk's appraisal and staff review.

Only Cllr Giles has a right to be consulted on "urgent" decisions, but there is no definition of what is meant by "urgent" or limits to his power. 
This is Lib Dem rule, not liberal, not democratic. 

Cllr Paul Ursell
Town and District Councillor,
Eynesbury Ward,
St Neots

Thanks to Dorothy
The Huntingdon fundraising committee for Macmillan Cancer Support would like to say a big thank you to Dorothy Ambrose and all who gave so generously at her strawberry tea in St Ives on June 28.
A total of £203 was raised to help Macmillan fund much needed services to benefit cancer patients and their families living in Cambridgeshire.

Liz Hardy
Secretary,
Huntingdon Fundraising
Committee,
Macmillan Cancer Support

Road is inadequate for new college
It was touching to read the dubious comment of Huntingdonshire Regional College principal Anne Constantine (Town Crier,l July 3).

She said that "the college will not put more traffic on the roads" – this completely misses the point of the 63 objections raised.
It is not the extra traffic but the totally inadequate capacity of Hinchingbrooke Park Road to handle any more traffic without significant upgrade which is the issue. An issue about which our "planners" seem reluctant to consult affected parties.

As an example, from the plans I have seen, traffic entering the college will have to make a right turn against the traffic flow exiting the area (which may be an emergency response) resulting in more hold ups of both lanes on Park Road.
Finally, Cllrs Dutton and Gilbert reported comments seem at odds with Mrs Constantine.
D A Baker

Why weren't objections raised?
In response to Cllr Doug Terry (Town Crier, July 3).
I am certainly not ignorant to the fact that St Neots Town Council's planning committee has seven members (even though their own website states there are nine), but maybe Mr Terry is ignorant to the fact that Cllr Bird is an Eaton Ford councillor, Fiona Birks is the Eaton Socon member and has three further Lib Dem town council colleagues for Eaton Socon ward.

One would think that, as they had been informed by 02 in March of the application for further antenna to be erected on the water tower in Eaton Socon, they may have taken the trouble to have asked the odd neighbour for their thoughts.
O2 received no response from the Eaton Socon Lib Dem councillors.
Maybe one of them could have read the press release a week prior to the planning meeting which told of the resident's petition against the proposed plans. Is it naive of me to think that councillors are elected to represent the people in their wards?

I am representing them at the district council, as appointed.
They have four Lib Dem town councillors and have been let down by them.
Cllr Terry is correct in saying that the final approval of the plans lies with the district council and he must also know that it is very unlikely to be refused now that the town council have raised no objections.

When will this Lib Dem town council start taking responsibility for its actions rather than passing the buck?
I would like to call on the Eaton Socon Lib Dem town councillors to apologise to the residents of Eaton Socon for failing to represent them, particularly their leader, Cllr Derek Giles, who was given advance notice of O2's plans.
District Cllr Mandy Thomas
Conservative
Posted on our website www.towncriertoday.co.uk

Busway progress
>> IT'S good to see the guided busway is making progress (Town Crier, July 3).
Although some people are against this scheme, I for one can't wait to use it for my daily commute to Cambridge.

The roads are often clogged, so well done to the council for getting this moving.
G Walker
St Ives