Letter: Administration is blamed for lack of direction on its watch

Without doubt, that responsibility carries many pressures and with it decisions that more often than not prove to be unpopular with some.

The T&W administration has now fumbled along without real direction for the past four years, while still continuing to blame the Conservative government for everything that doesn't go right.

Let's be clear, it was a coalition Government. This, however, did not force the decimation of our rural countryside, heritage and green fields, as implied recently by the Labour leader, Councillor Kuldip Sahota.

The cause was the failure by this administration to identify a five year land supply, failure to continue the legacy and work of the Development Plans Steering Group which was disbanded byLabour in 2011. They have also failed to implement a fundamental principle of the Government Planning Policy, which states that brownfield sites must have preference over greenfield land.

These decisions were made by the authority either through delegation to officers or at committee as T&WC is a local planning authority, not controlled by Government.

Whilst writing, the coalition government was not responsible for:

• The £123 million of borrowing

• The failure to recognise the pressures on secondary school places which we face

• The lack of investment in our local infrastructure

• The creation of a private housing company, with a proposal to build 450 privately rented houses which will not alleviate the homelessness problems

• The failure of the co-operative schools/academies that the Labour administration set up

• The cuts in local essential services

• The failure to either accept the community infrastructure levy or negotiate acceptable development contributions which could have helped address many of the issues mentioned above

The Labour leader, and his administration, have for four years placed blame anywhere other than where it belongs – on its watch!"

Stephen Bentley, Telford & Wrekin Council