IN response to Coun Jason Fitzgerald-Smith’s letter, I would like to ask which were the “ill informed statements” I made about the neighbourhood plan exactly?

Was it (his quote) “Neither myself nor any of my fellow town councillors ever intended to withhold our names”? I’ll agree with that, for the entire three months they never intended to do that.

The mayor fails to grasp one point entirely. Had the five councillors shown integrity and transparency and NOT actually voted then I suspect that there would have been no complaint, no investigation, no standards hearing and what is more to the point, no expense incurred whatsoever.

And “finally” as he put it, had he actually bothered to read the full written regulation decision notice submitted by the council barrister and the Standards Committee (specifically page 4, para iii) then he would have realised that is where I took the direct quote. Is he now saying that their statement “Malton Town Council has no jurisdiction to adopt the draft Neighbourhood Plan” is both wrong and misleading? Clarification is required please.

I would like to make one point really. The reader can either believe Coun Fitzgerald-Smith about “illinformed statements made by ex- Malton town councillor” or you can read what is actually written in black and white on the documents from the council standards hearing still available on the district council website.

Stephen Preston, Malton