SIR — In response to Kevin Greene (Your Letters July 29), I may be able to shed a little light onto the mystery of why our esteemed district council are hooked on using expensive, out of town, consultancy firms. Procuring quality advice is clearly not paramount, as demonstrated by the recent lost car parking and missing Tesco fiascos. A more plausible explanation can be found through the study of group psychology, with reference to groups and sects and their ability to occupy and reinforce their own alternative reality. In the simplest terms, all people, even our ruling councillors and officers, seek love and approval - these are basic human needs. Hurt, dazed and confused by overwhelming waves of public hostility to their plans, they are forced to look further afield for approval. The real expertise of their chosen consultancy firms, it seems, has little to do with the issue of the day, rather it appears to be in massaging bruised egos by listening to group members and preparing reports designed more to please than inform. For this service they are rewarded with huge sums of our money. This is of course, the other reason for employing distant firms. It would be unseemly for our district council to be within earshot of their new friends, laughing at them, all the way to the bank. Jon Freeman, Five Bells, Watchet.
