I SEE Councillor Terry Wheeler has been opening his mouth without thinking again.

By telling the overview and scrutiny management committee last week that “we are not going down the compulsory purchase order route” in relation to the EMD cinema he’s single-handedly over-ruling a decision taken by cabinet in 2003, when a decision to seek a CPO was made.

Since when did one councillor have the authority to do that?

Cllr Wheeler also said there’s not going to be any development on the Arcade site before 2012. And yet he’s still talking about the UCKG getting planning permission to use the EMD cinema as a church.

The UCKG’s last application was turned down by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

That decision can only be over-turned if there is a change in circumstances. This is the only borough without a cinema and, thanks to Cllr Wheeler’s ineptitude, without any prospect of one.

Richard Ashman, Pembroke Road, Walthamstow