Dear Editor,

I SEE that the Exmoor National Park are advertising for a temperate rainforest recovery officer.

Given the degradation of vast areas of heather moorland within the Exmoor National Park, might I suggest that thought is also given to employing a heather moorland restoration officer.

Our heather moorland is one of the jewels in the Exmoor crown, yet, in many parts, unsightly gorse, bracken, and scrub trees are being allowed to overrun it.

Stephen Rees-Jones, Dulverton

Dear Editor,

YOU published a letter from me last week about my annoyance at how removing the cannons from Minehead harbour was a pointless decision by the county council, it was just a personal view over a single issue.

In the same issue, you published a letter from Andrew Brown also questioning the actions of the council over a scooter scheme that has disappeared and the belief they could rent out an office floor for three days a week for a thousand pounds.

This gave me food for thought and reminded of the chaos and cost of the traffic light repairs at Dunster that is exactly the same as it was before, a cycle lane from Minehead that is never used, paying a consultancy tens of thousands of pounds to count how many cars use a car park, £5 million pounds for laptops for council workers.

If some of this money comes from outside sources and not the council coffers, will a representative from the council come forward and explain via your publication how the council warrants this spending?

Dawn Worbern, via email

Dear Editor,

MY wife and I were very fortunate to be invited to the 25th anniversary celebrations of Lynton Cinema last week.

It is a wonderful cinema with a great atmosphere.

The drive along the coast from Minehead to reach this famous gem is delightful, too, with wonderful views of the Welsh coast, and occasional sightings of red deer on the heather-clad slopes of Exmoor.

We are fortunate to have the Regal and the Avenue Cinema in Minehead, but the Lynton Cinema is worthy of our support, too.

Thanks must go to all those who work to keep these venues open, we certainly appreciate their efforts.

D. Gliddon, Williton

Dear Editor,

I HAVE been passed information from a Conservative Somerset councillor that the recent election for the Mayor of Minehead was rather interesting.

The account I was given was that the contest between Cllr Kravis and Cllr Palmer initially resulted in a tied vote.

Cllr Palmer used his casting vote to elect himself.

Out of 12 councillors, there were two who abstained from voting.

So, Minehead has a mayor who was elected on a minority vote, voting for himself twice, and let us not forget another vote would have been cast in his favour from his wife, whom, I believe, did not declare a personal interest.

It is a sad day for democracy.

David Best, via email

Dear Editor,

I enjoyed reading Robin Banks’ letter in last week’s Free Press, it seems that the issues we see on the world stage with power hungry individuals are playing out in a smaller scale in our sunny town of Minehead.

If the mayor is allowed to vote for himself, and, worse still, vote again in the instance of no majority, what sort of self-respecting individual would feel comfortable with the outcome.

When we come to the crazed delusions of world leaders holding on to power, the likes of Putin, Kim Jong Un, and Xi Jinping, it causes unrest and a tightening of civil liberties.

Anybody holding public office should be selfless, transparent, and act with integrity in life.

Sometimes, we need to reflect on our actions and ask ourselves are we doing the right things for the right reasons, if not, give your head a wobble.

I think that Cllr Kravis, however controversial, would have been a good fit, a maverick.

Over the last few years, many locals do not even realise we have a mayor.

He clearly does not like his photograph being taken, it has been the same stock image for the last few years.

I am losing faith in democracy.

Mark James, Minehead

Editor’s note: For the sake of fairness, it should be pointed out that no council rules were broken in the Minehead Town Council mayoral election, and the convention in local authorities when a vote is tied, is generally for a chairman’s casting vote to be used to maintain the status quo. The minutes of the meeting record what happened and are available to be read on the council’s website.

Dear Editor,

With reference to a letter in the last edition of the Free Press from Robin Banks, containing a rather scathing view of how Minehead Town Council has elected the mayor and deputy mayor for the council.

My own view of this matter is totally neutral, but if Mr Banks has such strong views may I suggest he attends the annual council meeting, or the regular monthly full council meeting, the next being June 16, at the community hall at Irnham Road.

There is a period in the meeting for any member of the public to ask questions and express their concerns.

I have done so at a few council meetings and received polite and reasonable responses.

The rather sad part about this is that at these meetings, l was the only member of the public in the whole room.

Do not complain about your council unless you are willing to stand up and do so.

Andrew Brown, Minehead