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.