Sir, – Evidence of the self-styled "Independents" on Waverley and Farnham Councils losing touch comes with their letter published last week. Putting forward "East Street as another example of politics creating difficulties in local government" is a backward-looking approach which seems to ignore current progress. On December 19, Waverley Borough Council spent nearly five hours considering legal and contractual aspects of the scheme. After a members' forum in which the council's advisers were widely questioned without a hint of politicking, the cross-party overview and scrutiny committee (chaired by the leader of the Conservatives) agreed a set of recommendations to put to the Liberal Democrat executive. These in turn were considered at length by the executive, who eventually agreed wording very close to the O&S proposals. These were then endorsed unanimously by council, including the two Independent members. There could hardly have been a more effective example of elected representatives working constructively in residents' interests on a cross-party basis. In the 2003 election, the East Street process was quite properly an electoral issue and all the LibDem candidates were happy to stand on the LibDem manifesto. Trying to resurrect that debate now does no service to the people of Farnham. Sylvia Jacobs, Longhope Drive, Wrecclesham