Arrogant bid to hijack meeting

The reference to the charity Mind is a pathetic attempt to divert people from the real issue, which is the attack on yet another Littlehampton leisure facility by Arun.

Mind made a funding application only in September, some 18 months after the Arun parks department decided secretively to remove the grass tennis courts. Mind was, in my view, an innocent and somewhat duped partner in the whole plan.

Turning to the allegation that council officers were treated “appallingly” by FOMP, I should point out that it was a meeting paid for and hosted by FOMP at Littlehampton Town Council premises.

The fact is that Arun District officers have no authority over the town council. The notion that anyone can turn up at another’s meeting to display their own opposing material is unrealistic, rude and arrogant, and was clearly an attempt to hijack the meeting. It was bound to cause offence.

I am a wheelchair user and arrived at the chamber with two female members of FOMP to discover that Arun officers had already mounted their 7ft square display alongside the projection screen at the front of the chamber.

I asked them to remove the display and they refused. I then asked them to leave the meeting. They again refused. I was physically in no position to do anything about that and it required the intervention of town council staff to remove them.

The Arun officers then attempted to set up their display in the foyer, knowing full well that I was not in a position to follow them in my wheelchair. I leave it others to decide whose behaviour was “appalling”.

Mike Dunne

Maltravers Drive, Littlehampton