I WRITE following Mick James’ letter about the future of Andover.

He asked the question “What would happen if we break away from TVBC?”

A great many good things is the answer!

We wouldn’t have local Conservative councillors shrugging their shoulders and saying “We were out-voted” when controversial planning applications get waved through without any great scrutiny by their colleagues representing rural or Romsey seats, like the Haydon Cars debacle.

We wouldn’t have TVBC banking approximately £40 million in reserves, yet failing to support vital services such as youth and mental health support across the town.

We wouldn’t have leisure facilities like the expensive, out-dated sports centre charging up to £49 per month for “all in” memberships when all residents want is an affordable gym or swim session that they can budget for each month.

Heaven forbid, we might not have local Conservative councillors trashing young people who take democratic decisions for themselves.

The last town council wasted a huge opportunity to set a high bar and the many voices of torpor who resisted change have now abandoned the council en masse.

What we could possibly gain is a town council that can fix all of these things, but only when they have been wrested from the necrotic hand of the borough council relying on votes from outside of town to stagnate change in Andover.

It’s not hard to imagine that all of these things are possible with even half of the borough council’s amassed £40 million surplus.

As a town councillor, Mr James actually has an opportunity to step up and work with colleagues to bring about some good, something I’m sure he cares about deeply.

My hope is he will do his constituents proud by achieving things his predecessors failed to.

Ross Fifield, Constable Court, Andover