As county councillor for Totton South and Marchwood, I believe I'm doing the best I can for the people I represent in opposing the sighting of a new waste transfer station near Marchwood village.

My efforts at persuading council colleagues to support my objection at two meetings of the regulatory cmmittee only failed because they decided that there were insufficient planning grounds for doing so.

They had great sympathy for the objections and made the point themselves that the county council owns the land and does not have to permit this development.

My plea to Councillor Ken Thornber, leader of Hampshire County Council, has gone unanswered, (other than a brief acknowledgement). However, he has found time to brief journalists that he is apparently unable to overturn council policy.

The point is, I'm not asking him to change a planning decision. I simply want him, as leader of the authority that owns the land, to decline permission to the applicants to proceed. I can't believe that this is not possible.

However, since the leader is not communicating with me, the local member, I can't say whether he has checked the legal position or whether he is simply wanting to escape responsibility for making a decision.

COUNCILLOR DAVID HARRISON, Hampshire County Council.