Recent comments by Zoe Patrick Lib Dem Councillor on the lack of consultation were branded an ‘Own Goal’ by Wantage and Grove District Councillors James McGee and Bill Melotti.The comments referred to the poor response to a survey conducted by Ms Patrick in Grove. Just over 1% were returned and of those, most indicated there had not been enough residents’ consultation.The issue at stake is the planned development of 2,500 houses to take place from 2011 onwards in Grove, as part of the local plan, which was adopted by the District Council last year and whether there has been enough consultation.At the second stage of the local plan, a long process to determine planning priorities for the next ten years, only about 4,000 responses had been received. The deadline for those responses was June 2004 and formed the bulk of activity to influence the local plan.‘This is a spectacular own goal’, said Bill Melotti. ‘At the second publication of the local plan, way back in 2004 the figure for people responding was less than 4% and dominated by vested interests, often national lobby groups. It was clear that the people living in Grove did not want the development, yet the Lib Dems agreed it anyway and added insult to injury by expanding it from 900 to 2,500 homes.Bill continued ‘It is Zoe Patrick’s party that is responsible for this. To talk about consultation now is frankly insulting. The developer has been chosen by the Council and when they apply for planning permission is it largely a formality. The Council cannot legally stop this development now.James McGee said ‘It is clear form the low response that people are fed up with meaningless Lib Dem surveys. However for once Zoe Patrick’s comments are spot on. The Council which her party is running has not been listening to the people of Wantage and Grove ! If she is starting to question her own side, perhaps she should join us on the Opposition, like her colleagues in Oxford City have recently done and together we could hold the ruling Lib Dem group to account "