Simon Buckley's latest letter on Sainsbury's debate

Llandeilo businessman, brewer and pub owner Simon Buckley has written the following letter to the Carmarthen Journal about the current debate about the planned Sainsbury’s superstore for Llandeilo -
With the debate continuing over the planned Sainsbury’s superstore for Llandeilo, I am moved to ask - Is local democracy dead?
Why will the three councillors, who claim have our interests at heart, not talk to us?
Ieuan Jones for a long time hid behind the fact ‘it is not my area of responsibility and it’s not in my ward’.
JJ Davies has either not worked out how to turn on his computer or has just simply decided not to respond - ignorance beyond belief.
Clive Scourfield, who has the most important role in all of this, has declined to meet, with no reason given. But, I suppose, we must be thankful for a response!
Simplistically, our elected representatives are failing us.
In this case, neither Councillor Scourfield nor Councillor Davies should sit on the planning committee for this decision.
They should listen to the views of people whose lives are going to be impacted by the development and then report back to their relevant departments with a formulated opinion.
The councillors on the Cabinet in most cases get paid significantly more than their constituents.
It would appear that they see themselves above the mundane day-to-day involvement with the people who elect them.
The Sainsbury’s development in Llandeilo is a generational planning decision.
If our local elected representatives will not discuss the matter, then why do we have them?
Councillor Scourfield is the Cabinet member for regeneration.
He needs to get out here to Llandeilo and tell us why his team in the regeneration unit have already given the thumbs-up to the planners - and that comes from insiders within the planning department.
I hear the decision is well on its way for approval.
If our elected representatives see themselves as being above meeting their wider constituents, and will not engage in social democracy, then we have to ask the question: who do they represent?
We are not asking them to agree with our stance, but merely to hear our views, relay those views to the decision-makers and to let us know what the council is thinking.
When Rhosmaen street is clogged with more than 1,000 cars on a Saturday, with gridlock in Llandeilo, I wonder then whether the Sunday Times will consider Llandeilo as one of the Top 10 coolest places in the UK!
It’s time to take the objection to the people and make sure they understand the arguments.
Plainly, our councillors certainly don’t want to know!
Simon Buckley.
Chief Executive, Evan-Evans Brewery, Rhosmaen Street, Llandeilo.