SIR,

It was with a sense of resigned amusement and a good deal of bitter irony that I noted the name at the bottom of a recent letter on these pages decrying the proposed ward boundary changes.

It seems that County Councillor, Sue White, is unhappy that a large chunk of the 'Overmonnow ward is likely to be incorporated into the town ward in order to accommodate the new residents of the Local Development Plan's huge Wonastow Road development.

Your readers may remember that this is the same councillor who absented herself from the debate and vote on the specific Wonastow development due to a "conflict of interest" with her husband's business. Sadly, such lofty ideals did not prevent Cllr White subsequently voting for the overall LDP, including Wonastow, thereby ensuring that the plan was approved by a majority of one, if memory serves me correctly, and leading directly to the proposal to alter the ward structure.

Now, I genuinely wish the best of luck to town Councillor Chivers and the good people of Overmonnow in their efforts to preserve their identity and independence. However, I suspect that the more cynical of observers might be prompted to suggest that with Cllr White in their corner, they need all the luck they can get.

Chris Williams

(Monmouth)