I FEEL that I must respond to your article on your website re: Cancelled meetings a "serious attack on democracy".

Over 40 years the planning meetings at Barry Town Council have been non-political as the make-up of the committee is on a ward basis, and not political make-up of the council.

Several times we have had to ensure that all wards are represented and where there has been a shortfall the council has ensured that all matters are covered.

With regard to the content of the article the committee has late items coming from the Vale of Glamorgan in its role of principal planning authority, and seeking the views of Barry Town Council in its role of Statutory Consultee, and some of these items are tabled at the meeting, which is done quite often (not an ideal situation).

At the last planning meeting held on 6/1/2015 the document referred to by councillor Shirley Hodges was such an item, I took a view to accept the lateness of the item and the date for a responses that I would put the item up for debate so meeting the requirements as far as dates were concerned.

This was objected to by councillor S Hodges, but the rest of the committee accepted my view, but as she represented 12 ½ per cent of the committee wards I accepted that no debate would take place, I instructed the administration to make the necessary arrangements but to meet the timescale only one date was available

This was done but unfortunately other ward members had other commitments that could not be cancelled. The Vale of Glamorgan were seeking views from ward members and not political parties but from your article it would appear the Plaid Cymru members are issuing their political agenda instead of ward matters in planning, is there an election coming up?

I will of course report back to the council on this matter who may wish to take a view of the situation.

Councillor Karl Kuhnell

Chairman of Barry town council planning committee