MADAM,

On Monday evening this week a meeting of a newly formed Monmouth Town Council Environmental Affairs Strategic Planning Sub-Committee took place, with Conservative Party Cllr Richard Roden in the chair. The purpose is to draw up a business plan for the town council in order to give Monmouth’s residents a clear understanding of what the council is trying to achieve, its vision, purpose, values and key priorities. The sub-committee noted that it would be necessary to undertake extensive public consultation to give a legitimate framework for the work.

The first decision of the sub-committee was to exclude members of the public and the press from the meeting on grounds that it was all confidential.

Is this the kind of organisation and the kind of democracy that we all pay our council tax for?

David Farnsworth

(Trellech)