The leader of WDDC, Coun Robert Gould, sent a message to John Grantham’s meeting (held in the Corn Exchange on Friday, September 2, 2011) which included a very questionable assertion.

He stated: “These issues have been the subject of extensive public debate over many years, including at the recent district council elections, and all decisions have been made openly and democratically…”

That the redevelopment of the Charles Street site has been the subject of “many years of public debate” is true.

However the issue of the building of new offices for WDDC (and a new Dorchester library), the issue currently causing significant additional difficulties for local businesses, has never been debated by the public.

It was presented by WDDC as a “fait accompli” once Simons, the developers, had indicated that the whole Charles Street project would be helped if WDDC were to build themselves new offices in place of the apartments formerly planned for the southern flank of the site.

“Openness and democracy”, in the opinion of the majority of both local residents and local businesses, were conspicuous by their absence.

Conservative party literature, distributed during this year’s May WDDC elections, made much of the £60million investment and resultant jobs that would benefit the county town with the delivery of the Charles Street scheme but did not point out that phase two (the retail units, anchor store, hotel etc.) was not contractually guaranteed to be built following the completion of phase one. Nothing was mentioned about the £15million of public money being used for the new offices and the library.

When all the candidates standing for election were asked by the SCON campaign if they were in favour of the new WDDC offices element of the project only one Conservative deigned to provide and answer to the question.

Were they fearful of SCON making clear to the West Dorset electorate exactly where they stood on this most contentious of issues ?

I believe, therefore, that Councillor Gould’s assertion that the results of the May 2011 election can be seen as a mandate for the new WDDC offices is an example of political spin at its dizziest.

When, and if, phase two of the scheme comes up for detailed planning consent I most earnestly hope that the important views and suggestions of both Dorchester residents and businesses will be canvassed and brought to bear on the balance of this most significant of sites in the town centre.

Alistair Chisholm, Friary Close, Dorchester