Cradley anger (Homes plan anger erupts, Malvern Gazette, July 12) runs deeper since your report.

More than 30 people attended the parish council planning committee meeting which rejected the proposed housing development in Cradley. Although Herefordshire Council, as you rightly pointed out, held their northern area planning sub-committee before the closing date for objections, they had already by then received 32 letters of objection. These letters pointed out, amongst other planning issues, that the proposed development contravened both existing and proposed planning policy for the area. Herefordshire Council have also confirmed that under its proposed Policy H5 there is no housing land allocation for Cradley.

This meeting of the northern area planning sub-committee was attended by both district councillors representing the area, councillors Stockton and Mills. Coun Stockton proposed at the meeting that this development should be allowed to go ahead, and Coun Mills did not oppose the development.

Since local government is meant to be a form of representative democracy, one is led to ask whom do the representatives represent? Do they represent developers, unelected council officials or electors? The electors of Cradley will be mindful of this at next year's elections. Meanwhile the development is likely to go ahead in the face of widespread opposition, and in the face of planning policy.

Roger Gill, St Katherine's, Cradley (via e-mail).