The letter from Mrs Siddons in your issue of August 27 contains so many inaccuracies and misunderstandings that they need to be corrected:

■ Allowances

Allowances for portfolio holders and councillors are based on recommendations from an independent panel and are lower than for most comparable councils. We initiated a four per cent decrease for the current year in view of financial pressures caused by the recession.

■ Decision taking

Mendip District Council does not have any "secretive workshops", as Mrs Siddons suggests. All important decisions are taken at meetings of the full council or Cabinet, which are open to the public.

■ Financial management

Mendip District Council does provide value for money and manages its finances well with the result that it balances its budget and has kept council tax increases within the limits of the cost of living increase ever since the Conservatives took over in 2003. There will be no increase in Mendip District Council tax at all next April.

■ Car parks

It is a gross exaggeration to call recent changes in car park tariffs a "U-turn". They were fine-tuning of a few of the earlier proposals and reflected an up-to-date survey of car park usage and public wishes – a totally democratic process. As portfolio holder I was never "baffled" by the problems involved; I simply stated that this area of policy was a classic example of not being able to please all of the people all of the time, a situation which has repeated itself every time any changes are made in car park charges and stay limits. Incidentally, the portfolio holder does not himself decide these matters. Recommendations are made by a cross-party working group, with the advice of a very experienced and able car park manager, and presented to the Cabinet for decision – again, a totally democratic process.

Ron Forrest Portfolio Holder for Economy Mendip District Council