ROY?PHILLIPS, of Carlton Place, Teignmouth, writes:

Teignmouth Lib Dem district and town councillor makes statements attributed to me in a letter last week that are not factual.

First I had asked if Teignbridge had contributed towards the £85,000 costs f Teignmouth's CCTV system. From his printed comments, I take it they did not. Then he writes of matters that happened before he became a councillor. If he had sought impartial advice, he would have been told that the previous holdup with CCTV was because we wanted Teignbridge's involvement, especially financially.

Second, I have not written of redeveloping Bitton House, but of the long-delayed redevelopment of the Carlton Theatre. I have never stated, proposed or written that this site be developed as an apartment block.

Again, impartial advice would have told him so, or failing that he could have checked the letter on file at Teignbridge. The proposal was for apartments to be built on top of the redevelopment – to help pay for a modernised theatre with offices and shops.

I have written that Bitton House could be sold leasehold or rented out on a leasehold basis in order to help finance and part own the new development at the Carlton site. Bearing in mind that the town council budgets £168,000 for administration staff out of a total budget of some £268,000 such a proposal would have been both cost effective and far more convenient for residents.

As for the history of Bitton House, yet again impartial advice would have told Cllr Falcao a different story. In l981 I asked the then vice-chairman of Teignbridge Council, Cllr Les Pike, why Teignmouth had given all its assets (which included Bitton House) to Teignbridge.

He replied that this town council had kept what they wanted of their assets and given the rest to Teignbridge.

Yet again, impartial advice could have told Cllr Falcao this.MORE LETTERS ONLINE