WHAT percentage of the residents in the Morecambe regeneration zone have approved the council's proposed £75 million 'masterplan' for the West End.

As a taxpayer and contributor towards the cost of the consultants who were commissioned to find the answer to this question I expected to discover the truth from an 'open' meeting held in Sefton Road church hall last month.

I joined an audience of around 200 as the meeting was dictated from a top table manned by two members of the residents' group, Cllrs Robinson and Sands, a council spokesperson and a private housing officer.

The presentation given by the council was as clear as mud and it was quite clear from questions raised by residents that they had not been informed how their homes and community life will be affected by the plan which had been approved by the council's cabinet earlier that same day. Not one of the questions was answered.

The response to the key question of plublic accountability was negative from all those on the top table.

Prompted by the announcement of a 'half time' tea break I left the premises, shocked by how an authority can carry on regardless of the feelings and concerns of an audience.

It was clear no-one had been informed of the details of the scheme and were consequently unable to make an informed judgement of whether or not this scheme is in their and the community's interests.

In my opinion the West End residents' committee and the local MP have failed in their duty of care to represent the community.

It seems to me their purpose is to act as intelligence gatherers for their masters, who have absolutely no regard for creating a sustainable community or public accountability.

Mr S Williams, Morecambe.