A LOCAL authority has defended its consultation process on the Leavesden Aerodrome site despite admissions by a neighbouring council the leaflet drop was "a failure".

This week, a spokesman for Three Rivers District Council said he was satisfied with the authority's consultation to 26,000 homes both in its district and in Watford.

The spokesman said appropriate checks had been made both by the distribution company recruited by the authority and by Three Rivers to ensure the leaflets had been delivered.

He said: "As far as I'm concerned, they did do a good job.

"Our research and investigation showed if there were any problems, they were very small."

The spokesman admitted he could not guarantee every house had received a leaflet but added it was often the case residents did not realise one had been delivered.

He said anyone who did not receive the leaflet would have been alerted to the consultation process through publicity in Three Rivers Times and in the press.

He said: "Not every single house is going to get it, I suspect. That's why we do press releases and have meetings and use other means to communicate with people to seek their views."

The consultation, which took place in February, was paid for by developer MEPC and handled by the authority's usual distributors.

However, at a meeting of Abbots Langley Parish Council last month, members raised doubts the leaflets were properly delivered.

Parish councillor Barry Highland said he had not received the document, despite living close to the proposed development.

His remarks followed criticism by Watford councillors living next door to the site in Woodside, who also claim they were not sent the papers.

Watford Council has since carried out its own leaflet drop to 20,000 residents paid for out of its own pocket and using council staff. At an area committee meeting in Watford on Monday, its development chief Bob Wolfe admitted the consultation process had been "a failure".

A spokesman for Watford Council suggested poor distribution and poor recollection by residents were to blame.

He said his authority had decided to carry out another consultation to be sure all households were reached.

June 17, 2002 12:00