Sir, – Richmondshire residents will certainly be pleased that, at a special council meeting held on April 28, 31 of the 34 councillors voted to freeze the large increase in allowances they had agreed to award themselves at an earlier council meeting on February 24. On April 28, three councillors did not vote: Coun Harrison-Topham abstained and Couns Lord and Thomas were absent.

In an earlier letter to the D&S Times (March 6), I named the 12 councillors who had voted against the increase in the first place but were defeated by the majority party.

The decision taken last week to freeze the proposed increase was not achieved easily but was due entirely to the convincing and compelling argument put forward by Coun Stuart Parsons and ably supported and debated by members of the opposition.

They argued that in the current economic climate it was inappropriate and unethical to increase their allowances when so many Richmondshire residents were struggling to make ends meet.

Richmondshire residents owe Coun Parsons a debt of gratitude for leading this debate but one has to ask why such huge increases were proposed in the first place.

SHEILA HARRISSON Gallowfields Road, Richmond