As a councillor who has been involved with local planning since 2009, I felt I must respond to some of the comments made in last week’s edition of the Gazette.

It continues to both amaze and disappoint me that those making comments about councillors making strategic and planning decisions never put themselves in a position to get involved with the process but are happy to sit on the sidelines and criticise those who want to take an active part in the future of their local communities.

Being involved in planning often involves having to take difficult decisions that sometimes are perceived as being unpopular.

Sometimes it would be easy to take a popular view but this can easily turn into a costly negative to the local authority. It can have an impact on the local community by incurring an overturn of the decision because is was not based upon planning policy and then have costs imposed onto the local council.

In recent times, I have supported the regeneration of the old Focus site in Chippenham, creating new jobs (based upon the fact that retail was already being offered on this site); the regeneration of the Langley Park site (old Westinghouse buildings) creating new houses, potential new leisure and hotel facilities and more jobs and the new development at Hunters Moon, creating new houses and helping towards our housing allocation, bringing in new families to the town, not only to live and work but to help sustain our local schools.

Finally, like all elected members, we will be judged by our actions during our term of office and the electorate will have their say in 2017.

Coun Peter J Hutton, Wiltshire Council and Chippenham Town Council.