I must, however, demur at his view that Forest Heath is "an officer-led council".

Officers must act on the instructions and decisions of the council, which currently means doing as the Conservative majority says.

It would seem, however, that the Conservatives rely heavily on the advice and suggestions of the officers, which makes it appear that the "tail is wagging the dog".

Another slant on the review by the boundary commission came from Mr Livermore – and I have to agree with his comments.

There are certainly overtones of Big Brother here, not least a seeming impending dictat from Westminster.

I do, however, feel that the survey by Forest Heath Council was neither informative nor well presented.

Local government would be well served by improving communication and reducing red tape. This could easily be accomplished by simply reducing the number of councillors and offices (possibly officers).

It is an important decision for the whole of Suffolk and requires further consideration and debate. It is not a decision which should be taken in haste.

Equally, Judith McCarty may be pleased to know that parking issues in Newmarket are being vociferously discussed, with councillors rejecting "rubber stamp solutions" put forward on officers' advice.

CLLR ANDREW APPLEBY
Fordham Road
Newmarket