With reference to your article about the Leyland Festival (Citizen, January 26).

The festival folded, as you say, due to lack of commercial support for the floats in the parade but I also believe that South Ribble Borough Council (SRBC) also demanded a huge Insurance Indemnity and the Insurance Company premium and the 'security fencing' gobbled up any profit.

You also report that Councillor Forrest is attempting to get support for a new Leyland Town Council which to my mind is another layer of bureaucracy to be paid for out of the rate payers pockets.

As the current tax takes ten per cent of my pension and I cannot get any rebates due to being stupid and saving money all my 52 years of working, I am most certainly not in favour of yet another attack on my income as the rates are already increasing year on year at a level considerably above inflation whereas the majority of pensions are not. Unless of course you are a retired council officer with an inflation proof pension paid for out of the rates.

Is there anyone organising a counter petition to stop this Prescott inspired madness of an elected town council?

How is it that as a SRBC resident I pay more for my council tax than the national press reported that Prescott should pay for his London residence?

I note from your newspaper that Coun Forrest is looking for town council premises in Hough Lane yet commercial concerns seem to get out of Hough Lane as soon as possible due to what the shopkeepers state as exhorbitant rent and rates.

What hope have we of keeping down what appears to be yet another stealth tax if this stupid idea goes ahead.

MJH

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