It’s my personal opinion that South Hams District Council leader Cllr John Tucker seems unaware that he currently has a negotiating team handling the transfer of land assets to Dartmouth Town Council.

Both sides in these ongoing discussions will be intrigued to learn that he appears to think that the district is not paying the town enough for taking on what he prefers to call “mostly liabilities”.

Cllr Tucker’s claim that SHDC “challenged quite heavily” the town’s cash-flow calculations is manifestly false.

In response to repeated inquiries from the town council, the district found itself either unable or unwilling to provide even indicative costings.

Fortunately, in our then mayor, Cllr Rob Lyon, the town had the services of a man with a lifetime’s professional experience in major project planning and management (never mind the help of a mysterious ‘somebody else’ whom Cllr Tucker refers to twice) .

The SHDC leader’s cheap attempt to drive a wedge between the town council and its electorate on this issue is ill-advised.

In fact, it is community dissatisfaction with the way SHDC has discharged its responsibilities in our parks and gardens that has led the council to believe that it must itself take steps to maintain our green spaces. They are essential to our quality of life and a vital visitor attraction, yet the mayor was categorically told there could be no improvement in the declining standards unless the town took over.

Flailing around on the bridge will not save a district council ship that appears determined to scuttle itself by merging with a distant fellow-suffering authority.

Unfortunately for Cllr Tucker, it is the present West­minster regime that is directing the demise of district government by squeezing budgets from the top and pressing for cheap localisation at the bottom.

But, of course, in that case voting for alternative representatives may not appeal to him quite so much as it does when he suggests it for politically independent town councillors.

Cllr Tony Fyson

Above Town, Dartmouth