Sir, – So once again the planners at Hambleton District Council have failed to do their job properly, this time in relation to Bagby Airfield. While I am fully in agreement with the residents being compensated, who is to pick up the bill? We the taxpayers, I suppose.

Would it be too much to expect that someone in planning has been sacked or indeed even reprimanded? I somehow doubt it very much. This is not their first mistake and will not be the last until someone takes a grip of the planning department staff and makes sure that they discharge their highly-paid duties properly, but then again, pigs might sooner fly.

ROBERT CARTER Brompton, Northallerton