Sir,

It was interesting to read the Beacon's report on the 'celebrity' briefing at Pelham Hall regarding the acquisition of Monmouthshire County Council's (MCC) Meend Farm, Penallt, in last week's edition.

It's a pity that it was not more widely advertised as the 'asset' belongs or should I say belonged to all MCC residents and council tax payers, therefore should have been open to all.

However, I suspect that the slick presentation was similar to that which convinced local councillors the sale did not need to go through normal open competition procedures.

With recent valuations of farmland within Monmouthshire reaching in excess of £12,000 per acre, the purchasers must be chuckling to themselves that they have pulled the deal off and how inept the council's team must be.

By their own admission they had up to 30 meetings with certain officials, presumably using 'name and profile' to their advantage.

I wonder at what point the local elected councillors became aware of the behind-the-scenes scheming of some of their colleagues, with quite so many meetings taking place.

One point that the council have not clarified in any of the press releases that I have seen is the basic arithmetical anomaly in that the couple are paying 50 per cent outright and the council retaining 30 per cent, which will be sold on at the end of the agreed period.

No-one has covered the remaining 20 per cent. Even on the council's accepted undervaluation, that amounts to approximately £240,000 of our money.

The sums of our money that the council are helping the couple purchase our 'very special place' could have been used to help keep our roads in far better order than at present, which would help visitors and residents alike.

On a related matter, one of the council's farms is occupied by one of the senior councillors who pushed the above sale through.

If this were placed on the 'for disposal' list, as a sitting tenant would he be eligible to purchase it at a reduced valuation?

Thank you to the Monmouthshire Beacon for allowing me to express my own and many others' views on this matter.

Paul Kedward

(Mitchel Troy)