You Can Run, Cllr Oliver, But You Can't Hythe

It is terrible state of affairs if a politician thinks the opinion of the people they represent is foolish. 1100 people (so far) have decided Cllr Linda Oliver's continuing absence is wrong and have asked her, and her Hythe Town Councillor husband, to stand down. Official figures show Cllr Mrs Oliver is still in receipt of her allowance - about £3500pa!

Cllr Linda Oliver's rant last week, in your Letters column, fools no one. She is absent from her ward and attends Council meetings on a much less than frequent basis. Indeed, to allow for this, Shepway's Conservatives have removed her from every District Council committee - thus removing her duty to work on them.

Writing an occasional letter for a resident is not representing the people who elected you. For example, I doubt she was aware of the sewage pipe collapse behind the houses in St Nicholas Road, Hythe. On that occasion I had to call out Shepway's emergency team on a Sunday afternoon. Darren Briddock and I also had to convince Southern Water to take responsibility for the vast hole that had appeared in the pathway. Residents were well aware of Southern Water's tanker parked in Frampton Road over night, pumping out the sewers, so new pipes could be put in place. You can't do Ward work like this from 180 miles away.

Where is this 'excellent team of Conservative Councillors' she refers to? Like her, Hythe's Conservative District councillors couldn't be bothered to attend the crucial meeting when Nickolls Quarry was granted planning permission by her Shepway Conservative District Colleagues.

Is that that standing up for your Ward? I think not - nor do the residents of Hythe West.