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Last night all 123 members of Cornwall Council received a copy of a letter written by their leader, Alec Robertson, to Communities & Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles. It concerns the proposed waste incinerator at St Dennis, about which Mr Pickles is due very soon to announce his decision on planning permission.

Here's an extract from the letter:

"I and my Cabinet colleagues are unanimously of the view that the appeal needs to be upheld and strongly urge you to uphold it."

In other words, the leader of the council is now deliberately undermining his own planning department, which at a very expensive public inquiry last year sought to defend its refusal of planning permission.

Alec had previously voted against the incinerator. Was he right then or is he right now? The letter is dated 7th April. So when precisely did Alec undergo this conversion of opinion? What is the cost to the public purse of last year's planning inquiry - and who should pay the bill?

On Tuesday Alec took quite a beating at the full council meeting on the issue of Cabinet Support Members. It's been a tough week. Methinks it might be about to get even tougher.