I should like to comment on two items covered recently in the Echo.

First, the front page article (Nightclub is granted lap-dance licence', April 13) on the decision to grant a lap dancing licence states that council officers voted in favour of varying the licence.

Can I make it clear that council officers solely advise the elected councillors and never vote? Any decisions on such issues are a matter for councillors only.

Secondly, in reporting my comments on the story Pavilion poll shock for the protesters' (Echo, April 11) about the Our Weymouth website poll, the reference to democracy could be interpreted as an attack on the people behind the website.

I should like to make it clear that this was not the intention. Instead it was a comment borne from experience that if you ask for views, then you cannot and should not expect to be able to control the results.

Anyone involved in survey work knows that there are usually some shortcomings and consequently they will simply use the results as part of their considerations.

This is indeed what happened with the findings from the master plan consultation for the Pavilion site.

The findings were one of a number of inputs into the decision-making process, along with the views of businesses and public agencies, previous consultations, the council's previously agreed aims for regeneration of the site and the views of our elected representatives.

Peter Gilmour, Information Services Manager, Weymouth & Portland Borough Council.