"Although I have always made public my opposition to Barn Hall being developed, now that a planning application has been submitted I have written a formal letter of objection to the Council. I have stressed the importance of ensuring that local residents' views must decide what happens to this site, and the majority view is against development. I have reminded the Council of my long held view that decisions affecting our local greenbelt need to be made by local residents, and not by politicians sitting in London or elsewhere - for it is local residents who have to live with the consequences of these decisions. It is simply undemocratic to do anything else."