TORIES in Herefordshire think their planning officers ought to stick a couple of fingers up to the Government from time to time.

Councillor Olwyn Barnett, the party's leader on Herefordshire Council, fears a flood of "guidelines" from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

If local authorities are too willing to accept them to the letter this will "result in a form of dictatorship", she claims - and lead to a backlash from the public.

I suggest the answer is for Herefordshire Council to take a leaf out of Worcester City Council's book: Draft a Local Plan and ignore it whenever an important development is at stake.