Sir,

It seems Monmouthshire County Council's (MCC) senior officials are still having communications difficulties over the handling of Meend Farm, Penallt.

A number of people, including David Davies MP, have written to MCC asking for explanations and justification of its sale of the farm to a 'celebrity couple' at about half its true value.

Mr Davies has also asked why there does not appear to have been any opportunity for anyone else to bid, why there has been no competitive tendering process and why it does not appear that any other scheme has been considered.

He has also asked whether there is anything to stop the couple from selling the asset at its true value and moving on. No reply had been received from MCC at the time of writing this letter.

David Davies has pointed out that he is asking the questions on behalf of a number of residents of the Penallt area and that the matter does not officially come under his remit.

It is surprising, therefore, that Nick Ramsay AM, whose remit it does fall under, has still been very quiet on the issue.

Because of the way MCC have manipulated their own rules, procedures, meetings and information with this sale of Meend Farm, the residents of Monmouthshire should be aware that at least one senior councillor is living on an MCC tenanted farm.

If the rules can be manipulated so blatantly, then what is to stop a ridiculously low price being offered by him to buy up the freehold of the property, with no-one else allowed to offer a competitive bid?

It seems a small number of individuals have the ultimate say on which rules/ procedures apply, when it suits them.

Paul Kedward

(Monmouth)