HAVE you ever had the feeling something isn’t right somehow?

We have the ever increasingly unpopular Sean Woodward telling us of his zero tolerance of A-boards in Andover when he is a Hampshire county councillor and these A-boards are in every town in Hampshire.

Winchester, for example, has had similar letters from Hampshire County Council (HCC) in the past but continue to display.

Portsmouth, Southampton have not received letters.

We have Sir George Young sitting on the fence, proving he seems to have no influence whatsoever except a pause for reflection.

Whatever that means?

We have Ian Carr seemingly not interested in helping our cause in saying: “The more I have thought about this... the more I have come to my first view that such a scheme should be administered by the county council”.

Well thank you for representing us then.

Can I remind them all this is our livelihood you are talking, or rather, not talking, about.

Or has this got something to do with Tony Hooke being elected as a councillor and this being his patch?

Is this why Conservativegoverned HCC and Test Valley Borough Council can’t be seen to resolve the issue in case the public believe it’s the influence of UKIP councillors that clinched it?

I have never in my 38 years of business in Andover heard of anyone being hurt by an A-board.

Why don’t the councillors ask the people who voted them in how they feel the situation should be resolved, because they will be asking for their votes in May?

Ron Wood, of A-Cut- Above, Bridge Street, Andover

 

THE short answer to all of this is businesses should be allowed to advertise with Aboards and Hampshire County Council (HCC) should lay off our High Street traders.

I signed the petition at Gallagher’s Florists some months ago in support when I first learned of the action by HCC.

Businesses in towns and cities around the world advertise p[roducts and services using A-boards.

What problem does HCC have with our town that they cannot sort this out themselves?

After all they receive a significant portion of the council tax to manage their responsibilities.

This issue is within their portfolio and their reach.

It appears to me their solution is to hand it over to Test Valley Borough Council like some political hot potato.

I think our county councillors should be making their officers accountable for this decision and putting some heat on them.

We should be asking them what they are doing about it.

Councillor Alex Brook, Alamein Ward

 

Having read with interest the articles in your newspaper on the Hampshire County Council stance on A-boards I would like to ask the question is this just Andover that has to comply with their ruling?

I was recently in Winchester.

I walked the length of the High Street and it was littered with A-boards.

Is this one rule for one and another role for another?

Thelma Hanlon, via e-mail