Judy Pearce, South Hams councillor for Malborough and Salcombe, writes: I would like to correct some misapprehensions which seem to have arisen locally concerning my election to South Hams Council in the by-election on May 22 this year. I have been permanently resident in the South Hams since March 2013. It is true that I am still a member on Wychavon District Council in Worcestershire until May 2015. If I were to resign my seat there it would cause a by-election at considerable expense to council tax payers in that district. I have, therefore, been commuting one or two days a week to Worcestershire in my own time and at my own expense to carry out the business there which cannot be accomplished by email or telephone and I am renting a small flat for the duration to stay in when there. I still have work there to get the new local plan to final submission stage. When there, I am in constant contact with the South Hams by email. I am totally committed to being one of the two members for the Salcombe and Malborough ward. It's true that Thurlestone, where I live, is not in the Salcombe ward, but it will be after the boundary revisions which come into force in May 2015. I had a number of volunteers who delivered leaflets for me as a two member ward is very large to get round alone in a short time. Every house should have received a leaflet, but if any were missed, I apologise sincerely. There were a number of European election leaflets being delivered during the same period, and it could have been easy to miss mine amongst them. As for the Alston planning application, I believe it was submitted after I had been selected by the local party branches, but before the by-election. The timing is purely coincidental and nothing at all to do with me. I have been to see Les King and Jane Putt, the authors of last week's letters, to explain the situation to them personally. I hope the rest of your readers will now put aside all the allegations and rumours that have been flying around since the end of May. I would like to thank sincerely all those elected me. I am working hard to show them that they were right to put their trust in me, and that I have a good deal of knowledge of local government and the planning system which I can use to help get the best possible deal at all times for everyone in the ward.