Martin McGowan-Scanlon, of Bay View Estate, Stoke Fleming, writes:

Cllr Smith’s letter, Chronicle, February 5, is more notable for what it fails to say than for any rebuttal of my previous claims.

He fails to mention that at the last meeting of Dartmouth Town Council it was pointed out to him – by ‘he who knows all the rules’ – that there was absolutely no requirement to abstain on the minutes if a councillor had not attended a meeting.

In fact, the council went as far as holding a vote to confirm this, in which all councillors were in favour.

Wait… no, I forgot – of course, one abstained!

Perhaps he hadn’t listened to the discussion.

In fairness, that wasn’t Cllr Smith, although he did ­comment that he had been doing it wrong for several years.

Second, he now says he agrees that builders need to make a profit and that on affordable housing ‘we’ – the council presumably – need to engage with social housing groups.

Why then his constant ­bashing of developers and builders instead of engaging with them as well as social housing groups to attempt to solve the problem? Or is the cheap laugh –ie the ‘Millionaires’ Row’ comment – more important to him than any resolution of the problem?

In any event, a major position shift, but better late than never.

Finally, he says he ‘would stand down’ as a councillor to make way for Kevin Pyne. I applaud his resignation and look forward to Kevin’s election.