I refer to Mr Harris, whose letter appeared on July 27, (Council right to question status).

He believes that the land off Honiton Bottom Road was registered as Littletown Green just because a few people in Marker Way didn’t want allotments near them.

He has clearly missed the point.

In 2006, more than 600 people signed a petition to keep the land as public open space.

They came from all over the surrounding area. So did the 70 residents who, more recently, provided written evidence of their use of this land; in some cases for more than 60 years.

That evidence provided the legal basis of it becoming a town green.

Mr Harris says there is a ‘huge demand’ for allotments.

However, 130 people is hardly ‘huge’ in a town of 10,000 people, particularly when up to 50 per cent of allotment holders usually give up in their first two years.

Honiton’s proposed allotments, according to Mr Harris, would use only one-third of the green.

He is obviously unaware that, in 2006, the deed for this land was altered to expressly allocate the whole field for allotments.

I believe this was done without telling or consulting local people or local councillors.

The town council told EDDC that it had consulted neighbouring residents regarding its allotment plans, but I do not believe this is true.

Registration as Littletown Green should mean that its protection as public open space is not now dependent on the word of local officials and politicians.

But note that the first thing council lawyers apparently did, following its registration, was to seek a way of circumventing the protection.

Alan Kimbell

33 Marker Way

Honiton