I'M sitting here reading the Gazette and wondering what is happening at Ryedale House.

I have great difficulty understanding Coun Janet Sanderson’s attempts to establish her integrity and judgement or moreover the absolute lack of it.

She appears to blame everyone for her walkout. I didn't see what happened but I can only assume that it was her decision to rise from her chair, her decision to take steps to walk towards the door, and her decision to leave the council chamber along with all the Conservative group.

When this action took place she would have been faced with two possibilities.

One would have been to stay to try to work for the best of Ryedale residents and forego misguided party allegiance.

Or secondly, she could do her leader’s bidding and follow him like a sheep out of the chamber.

Sadly she chose the second course of action. No matter how she or any of the ruling Conservative group attempts to address this walkout it remains in my eyes, and I would guess most people’s, as an extremely unprofessional and childish thing to do.

I am genuinely concerned that council tax money is being squandered by this farcical group, which seems hell bent on having its own political agenda and leaving us with the possibility of having to find a large sum of money to pay for yet another failed appeal.

The planning department must also take full responsibility for this outcome. I am a local councillor and for a short time was a district councillor and every time I was, or am, at a meeting the many people who gave me their vote, in theory are in that room with me.

Perhaps that is something that Coun Sanderson and her political cronies would do well to remember.

Sue Cowan, Pickering