JENNY FARMER, chairman of Stoke Fleming Parish Council, writes:

If the town council are seeking to change the boundary of Stoke Fleming parish there are a number of points they should consider.

Cllr Hawke's comments that Stoke Fleming would not be happy to 'give up a little bit of land' are quite correct, we would not.  Dartmouth's aspiration to take over the new development at the top of Dartmouth, which is 90 per cent within the parish of Stoke Fleming, to reap the consequent rewards of a larger precept are transparent empire building.

If and when this development is built, the population of our parish will double in size and the number of councillors required will increase accordingly. We are ready and able to deal with this but we certainly do not need Dartmouth to take over this site to 'save us the trouble'.

I would point out that a change to the current boundary would involve Dartmouth tax payers in high legal costs that may or not succeed, this however has not been mentioned.

Our aim has always been to work with the town council, however if this is the view they wish to take then I am afraid they must be prepared to have our voice heard.