Good support for The Commons Nature Reserve

Sir – How heartening it was to see unanimous local endorsement of the campaign to save The Commons nature reserve at the public meeting on Tuesday night. Even the politicians in attendance pledged their support against the proposed housing development

Sir - How heartening it was to see unanimous local endorsement of the campaign to save The Commons nature reserve at the public meeting on Tuesday night. Even the politicians in attendance pledged their support against the proposed housing development - but where were all Welwyn Hatfield's councillors for this vital debate about their own reserve? I counted three out of 48.

Where was Mandy Perkins, Welwyn Hatfield's only (unelected) representative on that equally unelected body the East of England Regional Assembly? Instead of attending the meeting, she had the temerity to appear next day before the BBC cameras in front of the reserve.

Hitherto a stranger to these parts, she casually draped herself over the reserve's 'Welcome' board and spluttered some rather alarming sentiments. Rather than offering some reassurance to us all, or even being non-committal, she managed to convey the impression that perhaps LaFarge might indeed get their way and build with the council's blessing. Exactly who does she think she is representing? Or does she even care?

Margaret Corbishley,

Uplands, WGC.