HAYDN Gear and Bob Greenland seem both to be under

the misapprehension that the reason for rejection of the

Henry Boot application was "mainly on grounds of

aesthetic unacceptability." There were five important

reasons for refusal. The first four are just important and

relevant to the options presently under consideration.

Indeed, it is difficult to understand why councillor

Greenland did not realise his brief instructing the four

architects was flawed before he redeployed it. One can

only conclude that Henry Boot and Asda were not

prepared to proceed except on the basis of a retail trading

park much the same as they had already proposed. MCC

were not going to get all the money unless they agreed.

Remembering the changes to the membership of the

planning committee immediately following the refusal and

the recent decidedly biased makeup of the judgement

panel for the two options chosen by Henry Boot, Asda and

MCC, we might be excused for thinking there is an

intention to force through planning one of these highly

inappropriate schemes. All along there has been an

apparent conspiracy between MCC, Henry Boot and Asda

to get these ill-conceived proposals approved.

The sad thing is the MCC planning authority are ignoring

the planning polices they have themselves devised for the

benefit of us all and applied with vigour to a good many

Monmouthshire people. This is disreputable behaviour

and the two year delay councillor Greenland envisages is

likely to be greatly extended by justified resistance.

I join Barry Greenwood of FOE and ask all county

councillor to appoint new management and restore public

confidence in the handling of this important matter.

Ken Adams

Llantilio Crossenny