Cllr Ellie Chowns claimed in the Ross Gazette last week that the Citizens Climate Assembly were not handpicked Greens but a representative demographic, yet nearly all of them agreed with the proposed measures. Her assertion is questionable.

The consultants, engaged at a cost of £70,000 of our money to recruit this Assembly, targeted people who were “concerned or very concerned” about climate change. They sent invitations to more than 14,000 people and received only 520 responses, 98.7 per cent of whom fell within the category of being “concerned or very concerned” about climate change. They selected 48 of these people for the Assembly which was chaired not by a neutral person but by the Green Cllr Ellie Chowns herself!

In these circumstances the recommendations come as no surprise. I doubt that they represent the views of the wider community. I think we should be told who these people are with full declarations of interest on their part, as required for parish councillors. There should be much greater accountability before any of these proposals are put in place and we cover the county with unsightly solar farms.

Chris Bailey, Weston under Penyard