Alan Melton, Tory leader of Fenland District Council, wins Idiot of the Day

From the Eastern Daily Press website:

Archaeologists today hit back at a council leader who said he’d cut controls on developments, warning “the bunny huggers” won’t like it”.

Alan Melton, leader of Fenland District Council, used the term in a keynote policy speech, at the council’s design awards in Wisbech on Monday night.

Announcing he planned to scrap the need for archaeological surveys when new developments get under way, he added: “The bunny huggers won’t like this but if they wish to inspect a site, they can do it when the footings are being dug out.”

The site has the full text of Melton's speech and reports the reaction of some archaeologists:

One archaeologist said he had contacted Mr Melton about his remarks.

“I did email Mr Melton yesterday evening pointing out that what he was attempting to do was illegal under EU law, and that it would make the planning process slower and more expensive,” he said.

“I received a reply from him this morning which simply read: ‘Long live Eric Pickles’. I assume this is what passes for reasoned debate in his part of the world, or may be an attempt at humour.”