Dr Richard Rawlins, of Beacon Road, Kingswear, writes:

The concerns expressed by Dartmouth Town Councillors in respect of South Ham Council’s planning department, Chron­icle, October 7, are shared across the water.

 Four years ago, I reported a flagrant breach of planning procedures in respect of the development of a multi-storey office block at Kingswear Station.

No proper action was initially taken, and it was necessary to seek the assistance of the Local Government Ombudsman.

She found that had the council not belatedly regularised the process by seeking a retrospective application, she would have found maladministration. Not unsurprisingly, the council approved the application.

 Last year, a developer applied to construct a terrace in the Conservation Area at Kittery Quay, Kingswear. Planning officers declined to give support and the application for a terrace was withdrawn.

Nevertheless, the terrace was constructed. Despite representations from Kingswear Parish Council, South Hams Council has not enforced compliance, and now an application has gone in for retrospective permission.

We cannot go on like this. I call on councillors Hilary Bastone, Jonathan Hawkins and Rosemary Rowe to hold officers to account; to make sure planning policies are understood by all; and compliance is enforced.

Otherwise we will have anarchy with loss of confidence, as reported in Dartmouth.

Councillors should represent residents not ‘the council’.