ON ATTENDING Test Valley Borough Council’s (TVBC) cabinet committee meeting I was amazed, one, that each councillor and officer had a new replacement microphone in front of them (at what expense, I shudder to think).

In my days, even the softestspoken councillor was heard when he or she got up to speak without the aid of an expensive microphone.

And two, although being amazed, I was not surprised at the blatant, undemocratic attitude of the chairman, Cllr North and the committee members, who were elected to serve the people, not to put their hands up as and when they are told.

The only people invited to speak were a select few and they were told they could only speak for three minutes.

Other members of the public were refused the opportunity to speak or ask questions on such an important issue – the demolishing of Andover’s town toilets.

Again, when I served the people, if any member of the public attended a meeting with an important issue, the chairperson would ask those present did they have any comments.

This committee totally ignored the invited speakers’ comments. There was virtually no debate to Peter Giddings proposal to forward it to full council with the recommendation to demolish the toilets and they voted unanimously supporting it.

One councillor even had the audacity to state that as the toilets had been closed for six months, and nobody complained, why complain now.

To which, had I been given the chance, I would say that the people of Andover were given the impression that it was a temporary closure – now they are to be demolished.

If the TVBC councillors took (in line with a lot of other people at this time) a reduction in their attendance allowance, that, in turn, could be used to pay for two security officers and cleaners without a rates increase.

Peter Sumner, Coachways, Andover.