We want to know why this was allowed

We hear a lot about the local accountability of our councillors, but in practice it often seems to be severely lacking, particularly when it really matters. Four councillors voted to approve a sex establishment licence for Amara in Court Street, and indeed Cllr Norman Pratt also used his casting vote to get the licence approved.

We expect each individual councillor to explain publicly why they voted as they did. We understood that the stated policy of the council was not to locate such places in close proximity to residential areas: yet this is the clear result of the decision. It seems they were taken in by arguments such as those reported in your paper. Arguments such as that its proximity to establishments of religious worship and medical establishments was irrelevant because Amara would only be open in the middle of the night and that those residents who were concerned about having to walk past the club could take different routes!

Through your paper, we are amongst those many Leamingtonians who demand that the relevant councillors identify themselves and explain why they chose to apparently ignore both council policy and the mass opposition of local residents. - Robin and Sue Wensley, Leam Terrace, Leamington.