Cllr Chris Clarance, of Marine Parade, Shaldon, writes:

I feel the article entitled Chairman quits with jibe at colleague in your edition of September 14 warrants a reply.

On May 22 this year, less than four months ago, Cllr Maia Miller was elected chairman of Shaldon Parish Council at a packed public meeting, with only two other councillors present apart from myself and Cllr Miller.

I believe many of those present were alarmed that Cllr Miller was to be elected as chairman on the strength of only two other councillors.

The minutes show that Cllr Miller agreed to review the position of the chairmanship once the council was back to its full complement of seven members.

The issue of the chairman was raised at the July meeting and as we don't meet in August the issue was revisited on September 11 at an extraordinary meting of the council, called primarily to put the process in place to find a new parish council clerk who, after a year's excellent service, resigned as she found fulltime employment elsewhere.

At the meeting on September 11, I was expecting to vote for Cllr Miller to become my vice-chairman. Much to my surprise Cllr Miller has quit the council, the reason being new business commitments.

The article says she is considering standing against me when the county council election comes around in May.

One might ask the question how Ms Miller will be able to commit sufficient time to fulfill the duties of a county councillor within her busy schedule, if it has already caused her to resign from being a parish councillor. I am retired with the time and commitment to be a councillor.

Ms Miller claims I have been difficult to work with. I did tell her publicly I felt she didn't deserve the position of chairmanship so soon in May as she had only served a year on the parish council and failed to help organise village events such as the bonfire and jubilee celebrations, which were parish council events with committees, which she never attended.

Having been on the parish council for 24 years, it was a few years before I had the honour to become chairman. In her short time as chairman she requested meetings in private with me, which I deemed not appropriate.

The minutes of the meeting where she agreed to review the situation of the chairmanship failed to get posted on the council's website, a situation I as chairman of the parish now intend to correct.

I welcome the election of Cllr Matt Slader, who is joining the team, and I am looking forward very much to the future with my steady hand on the helm.

Already there are a few inquiries to join me and the team to replace the vacancy left by Ms Miller.THIS AND OTHER LETTERS IN OUR DIGITAL EDITION