Sir,

Concerned and well-informed correspondents of the Beacon have raised issues which cast grave doubts on the legitimacy of Monmouthshire County Council's (MCC) handling of the Meend Farm sale.

There would appear to have been clear instances of mal-administration on MCC's part concerning the procedures adopted, including:

• By-passing the democratic process (through failure to involve the elected ward member in the build up to the publication of the agenda for the sale to be approved, or to consult with other stakeholders on whom the sale might impact).

• Ignoring MCC's own recently-published policy review document regarding the disposal of council farms, (which highlights requirements for independent valuation procedures and disposal through auction).

• Failure to raise or take into consideration likely planning issues (at least to outline consent level) prior to recommending a sale where a significant portion of the land will not be utilised for commercial farming but dedicated to 'niche' agricultural activities with considerable infrastructure.

I have addressed a detailed series of questions to the chief executive of MCC in an attempt to shed some light on these issues to allay the fears of many that the lack of transparency potentially hides a catalogue of concessions and irregularities.

Robert Davis

(Osbaston)