Nick Davies, business manager, Strategic Place, Teignbridge Council, writes:

I fully support Mr Cole's right to publicly comment on the decisions of the council and its officers in a letter to your paper. That is part of the open and democratic system in which we are all privileged to live.

As one of the council's officers, I rarely feel it is right to respond in pupblic. However, Mr Cole has made assumptions about my personal motivation and knowledge that are wrong.

He suggested that the advice I gave to planning committee during its consideration of a planning application was due to the fact that I am not living in Kingsteignton and would not, therefore, be affected by the additional traffic that may ensue. He further suggested that I, and my colleagues, may be enlightened further by venturing out of our offices once in a while to see what the people of Kingsteignton have to contend with on a daily basis.

Mr Cole was clearly unaware that I have to leave Kingsteignton every day to travel to my office as I am fortunate enough to live in Kingsteignton and have done so for the last 26 years, having been born in Newton Abbot and educated at Decoy and Knowles Hill schools. The Teignbridge planners and Devon County highways engineers whom he refers to live and work in the area and are affected by the council's decisions in the same way as all other residents.

I fully respect Mr ?Cole's right to disagree with my advice but he is wrong to assume that the advice was given due to a lack of knowledge of the area or because I would not have to live with the consequences.

I would be happy to discuss mr Cole's other concerns if he would like to contact me at the office, or who knows, perhaps we will meet by chance on the streets of Kingsteignton.