SIR — John Lucas (Your Letters November 6) expresses the fear that the Stogursey area will be "dumped on" and "robbed by both Sedgemoor and West Somerset district councils".

Upon being elected to West Somerset Council two and a half years ago, one of the early horrors I uncovered was that although Hinkley Point is in West Somerset, matters nuclear were being handled for us by our "friends", officers at Sedgemoor District Council. 

This, so I was told, was because Sedgemoor had greater capacity and expertise for dealing with such "technical" matters. 

This is one of the unavoidable consequences of West Somerset being the smallest district council in England - we have never had, and will never have, the resources available to our larger neighbours. 

However, this consistent failure to look after our own interests over the years has allowed Sedgemoor council to muscle in and take the initiative – we handed it to them on a plate. 

They are leading negotiations with the nuclear industry, not us. EdF energy, the French government owned company about to build new stations at Hinkley, have, very conveniently, set up their offices right next door to Sedgemoor council offices in Bridgwater. Very cosy!  Sarkozy, even!

Although the go-ahead for nuclear new-build at Hinkley surprised nobody, the official government announcement was not made until Monday of this week. 

So who was interviewed on BBC Points West? Was it the leader of West Somerset council? No. Was it any of his lead members, or even any West Somerset officer? No.

The chief executive of Sedgemoor council appeared, telling us about the millions of pounds Sedgemoor hoped to gain!

So while people living in the Cannington and Stogursey area can look forward to their peace and tranquillity being shattered by a decade of shanty towns populated by thousands of imported construction workers, HGVs thundering by all day and night, and all the other chaos that goes with living on top of a major construction site, we can look forward to Sedgemoor taking all the benefit – maybe many millions of pounds - from the biggest ever development in West Somerset.

Cllr Jon Freeman,

Member for Porlock Ward,

West Somerset Council.