With Letchworth having its own town council, I often wondered how long it would be before other towns also wanted more local say for control of minor issues. Now, unfortunately, Cllr Judi Billing proposes that Hitchin follow Letchworth down this path. It

With Letchworth having its own town council, I often wondered how long it would be before other towns also wanted more local say for control of minor issues.

Now, unfortunately, Cllr Judi Billing proposes that Hitchin follow Letchworth down this path. It has to be asked how many more layers of bureaucracy do we need given that in the early 1970s the change was to form district councils from the urban and rural district councils, and later many of these district councils where to combine into Unitary Councils? Presumably for greater efficiency!

Reported in The Comet, are plans to change the structure of NHDC area committees in a supposed bid to save £50,000. The change would put the control of the Hitchin area committee out of Labour's control and into the hands of the Conservatives; and there I was thinking that Labour councillor Judi Billing was concerned only with the welfare of Hitchin residents and not as a show of pique; politicians at all levels never change!

If Hitchin were to follow in the steps of Letchworth GC a charge would be levied on Hitchin's council tax payers to pay for such a set up. The whole idea of these town councils would appear their gaining an unfair advantage for access to council funds over those without their own town or rural councils, if not, why have these town council additions to NHDC, unless, of course, they raise their own revenue to be spent on items not provided by the district council?

I MARTIN, The Limes, Hitchin

* I must take issue with Ellie Clark over her provocative comments in last weeks Comet. To suggest that shame should be brought on certain Hitchin councillors for daring to have views which differ from her own is unacceptable. In our democracy it is healthy for people to hold differing views and to discuss these in a calm and civilised manner without resorting to the sort of exhortations expressed by Ellie Clark.

Before naming and shaming in future Ellie should be sure of her facts. She has never heard me speak for the suggested change in the make-up of the Hitchin Committee because I have not yet expressed my views in public. If she thinks I voted for change at the last meeting of the Hitchin Committee then she is wrong. I abstained as I had not yet made up my mind about a subject which has both plusses and minuses. I will speak and vote on this when the decision has to be made in council.

Cllr BERNARD LOVEWELL, Milton View, Hitchin