After reading so many letters from dissatisfied citizens, it was gratifying finally to read a response from a council representative - even though Coun Di Rayner, skilled strategist that she is, carefully chose the ground on which to fight, and carefully avoided many of the points raised by other correspondents.

In particular, she ignored the question of the level of staffing in the council administration and the less than adequate consideration given by the planning department to preserving the unique character of Malvern and resisting the creeping erosion of the Conservation Area.

With respect to planning, your newspaper is continually bringing reports of planning decisions being made in the face of concerted resistance from the citizens of Malvern - the Lidl affair, for example

The general failure to respond to residents' concerns publicly - either in response to e-mails or through the columns of the Gazette, which is the only real organ of public debate in Malvern - betrays a lack of regard for the citizens of Malvern by whom they are ultimately employed and paid.

Coun Rayner makes much play of the satisfaction ratings achieved by the council. Even if these statistics mean anything, they still mean that over 12,000 of Malvern's voters are unhappy with their council's performance and I am sure this will be of no little concern to our council leader, as a person dedicated to the good of the people of Malvern - as are most of our elected councillors.

Michael Townson, The White House, Como Road, Malvern.