I MUST take issue with two of your letter writers who published letters in last week’s edition.

Reg Kemp takes to task the March one-stop shop: the shops were set up in 2005 as part of the Fenland District Council drive to take council services to the High Streets and make them more easily accessible.

This initiative has been very successful. Whilst Reg may quote the costs involved, the facts tell a different story.

Last year 49,569 visits were made the March shop alone. Those visitors are very satisfied with the service and the so-called “faceless bureaucrats” are available to serve the public rather than being stuck in a back office in Fenland Hall.

Removing back office staff to the frontline has resulted in the closure of the Wisbech back office, resulting in a �90,000 saving!

Martin Field is one of those “deficit deniers” who still believe that the Labour Party is not responsible for the financial mess we are in.

Let me remind him that because of Labour’s “max out the credit card” philosophy it was Labour more than 10 years that got us to where we are now.

I should also remind him that Labour also continually denied Cambridgeshire and Fenland fair funding under their successive grant settlements.

Like all organisations, Fenland District Council is having to make savings, but because of prudent budgeting and forecasting by the current Conservative administration, our cuts will not be as draconian as they could have been.

Pity the last discredited Labour Government didn’t take a leaf out of our successful book.

ALAN MELTON

Leader

Fenland Conservative Group

Birch Ward Candidate