I COULD be writing a fiction novel.

I refer to the news item “Leaked letter sparks fears over shale decisions” (The Press, February 1).

I wrote to The Press in mid-August last year pointing out what the Tory government were planning to do regarding fracking applications.

At that time I wrote that the government has legislated “that the amount of time local residents and local councils can have to prepare their cases for or against the fracking process ... would be limited and would then be decided by Westminster”.

Sadly, it’s all fact and not fiction.

Are we living in a dictatorship whereby local democracy can and will be over ruled by Downing Street and Parliament?

H F Perry, St James Place, Dringhouses, York