SIR: I and my Conservative colleagues are disappointed by the recent decision of the Liberal Democrat administration of Winchester City Council to evict two popular, viable businesses from Kings Walk.
We are further dismayed by their refusal to offer a sensible, temporary rent adjustment to business in the city in council-owned properties which has already led to another long-term, viable and popular business, Dinghams Cookshop, to announce their forthcoming closure.
As the local economy fights its way out of the Covid-19 pandemic our council must put its own interests aside and do whatever it can to keep Winchester alive. Forcing businesses out of their premises and maintaining unreasonable high rents are not the actions of a responsible landlord or local authority, and are not what local residents want to see.
I am calling for the city council to immediately take the following steps:
1: Guarantee business of Kings Walk will not be evicted until they have been found similar city centre premises at equal or lower rent;
2: Reduce all commercial rents for city centre properties the council owns by 20 per cent for a period of not less than one year, with a vote of Full Council to decide whether or not to extend the policy at the end of the period;
3: Set up a Business Liaison Forum where local businesses who occupy council-owned premises will be able to communicate directly with council decision-makers, using the same format as the Kings Barton Forum;
4: Require the Portfolio Holder for Asset Management, Cllr Kelsie Learney, and the Portfolio Holder for Economic Recovery, Cllr Martin Tod, to present an action plan at the next meeting of Full Council on how they intend to bring the above steps forward.
If the Lib Dems carry out the actions above I will support them, and perhaps they can start to repair the damage they have caused to our local economy and rebuild the trust they have lost from Winchester’s business community.
I believe there will be full, cross-party support for these steps, and hope the administration sets politics aside and joins us in getting Winchester’s economy back on track.

Andy Lai,
Francis Copse,
Winchester