In answer to Ms Bluemel's letter (she's well known to Echo readers for her anti-Lib Dem views, so this attack is nothing new).

The only person I've met during a week's canvassing who mentioned the airport stopped me in the street and asked me if we were going to stick with our decision to allow the runway to be extended.

When I assured him that we would, he replied: "You can count on my vote, then.

"I usually vote Lib Dem, but I just wanted to be sure."

He then gave me his name and pointed to the house where he lived and I marked my canvass card accordingly.

The vast majority of the general public are in favour of the runway extension.

I myself am strongly in favour, knowing that many of those who will fly from Eastleigh once larger planes can use it will be people who'd otherwise have flown from Gatwick or Bournemouth instead.

In other words, they won't be new passengers but existing ones flying from nearer home.

Those continuing to write to the Echo attacking the decision have nothing new to say so should give it a rest - like us Remainers when we lost the Referendum vote and as a result Britain has left the EU.

No point in writing letters making pro-EU membership points over and over again - a decision has been made.

We still think we won the argument, but we lost the vote. That's democracy.

End of - at least for the time being.

All the points against the runway extension came up in the 19 hours the councillors sat through before coming to their decision.

It was 22-13, 18 Lib Dems plus the two Conservatives and two Independents, and 13 Lib Dems against.

There was no official 'party line' and no whip - a free vote.

Our party was split, but that's democracy.

But a decision, whether right or wrong, was reached, and further correspondence is pointless.

I still think we'd be better off as members of the EU, but I shan't be writing a letter to the Echo about it.

Martin Kyrle

Chandler's Ford