Apology is owed over Portobello controversy

There was no rent-a-mob at the meeting. The vast majority of people there were Telscombe and East Saltdean residents who were enraged at any suggestion to sell off this piece of land for an industrial purpose which would threaten the environmental and residential future of the town.

Others in attendance were supporters of the Campaign for Residents Against Portobello.

The Liberal Democrat councillor who stood on a table did so in a final endeavour to make his proposal heard and voted upon, having already put it twice and been ignored by the mayor.

It was finally, democratically, voted on after nearly an hour of mayhem. This was caused by the mayor's failure to control proceedings and his refusal to acknowledge legally submitted and seconded votes of no confidence in the council.

The only councillor who played party politics, and was howled down and censured for it, was Coun Prince. His allegations about Liberal Democrat practices were despicable and were, justifiably, condemned by members of the public.

Coun Prince cannot claim he does not support selling the Tye land to Southern Water while, at the same time, admitting that his attempts to do just that could be argued as being "too soon".

He cannot claim that he doesn't want Portobello and wants to fight the cause when he has failed to be seen doing anything to prevent Southern Water's plans and has recommended accepting the water company's financial offer.

At best this can only be described as the type of political naivety which should preclude him from being a councillor.

Finally, he asks what he has done wrong in trying to cover all scenarios. Bluntly, the answer is that his actions (had they been successful) would have thrown out all the wrong messages to the Government minister currently deciding the Portobello issue on evidence gathered by one of his planning inspectors at a 43-day planning inquiry.

landscape.

-Jean Talbot, Westmeston Avenue, Saltdean