IN HER letter last week (Penarth Times, November 8), Cllr Lis Burnett stated that the council’s aim is to give local people a voice and to listen to what they want. This is a very laudable sentiment and no-one would disagree. However, what this statement epitomises is that the power lies not with our elected councillors of whatever party, who can only “listen to any suggestions”; but with the non-elected permanent officers.

I suggest that the council has no intention of ever using this money (from selling the land to Crest Nicholson) for what it was earmarked; in the same way that money put aside for Penarth Sea Front from housing developments never materialised.

In the time Crest Nicholson will have developed and built all the houses at Penarth Heights, the Vale of Glamorgan Council will still be dithering on what to do with St Pauls, and it will have fallen down; probably the outcome they wanted all along. So if the council really wants to provide facilities for our young people, then stop listening and just get on with developing it.

C Whittaker Via e-mail