IN HIS letter Lib Dem Cllr Len Gates embarrassed himself (Letters October 19, ‘Minutes are clear’).
According to members of the public at the Town Council meeting he was talking about, neither Len Gates or the Town’s Mayor — who was chairing the meeting — knew what the difference was between rateable value and the rates a business pays. Yet they still voted to support the BID — which is an extra tax on small business.
Cllr Richard Rowles was right to stand his ground in the face of this incompetence, and unlike Len Gates I am an independent business owner in Andover. What he needs to do is spend at least 12 hours a day working to provide jobs for local people. Like me maybe he wouldn’t be so quick to support forcing small business to pay more tax, which we need like a hole in head!
By the time him and his Andover Clown Council are done with Andover there won’t be any shops left!
Kevin Farrer, International Furniture, Andover.
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