SIR – Regarding the alleged “unnecessary cost” of a parish council by-election in Baildon, Bob Watson’s argument (T&A, September 26) is superficially attractive, but fails to deal with the following points.

Firstly, if there had been no resignation, there would have been no vacancy to fill. The opportunity for a by-election was caused by a resignation.

Secondly, Baildon Parish Council has a track record of filling vacancies by co-option. True, this saves money, but as a method of filling vacancies, it bypasses the electorate. The Council was fast approaching the point where it would no long qualify for “Quality Status” as a parish council if an insufficient number of its members had submitted themselves to the electorate. (And yes, Mr Watson, some of us do care about the quality of our democracy).

Mr Watson strikes me as being one of Oscar Wilde’s cynics – a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

My experience of Ian Lyons is that he has already done more for Baildon (by raising charitable cash, advancing the Ferniehurst Dell Project, helping set up a Hoyle Court community group) than Mr Watson has ever achieved by sending in his bilious letters.

John Cole, Oakroyd Terrace, Baildon