CLLR Richard Rowles’ letter regarding the Andover BID (Letters, October 5, ‘Divisions made’) is both inaccurate and misleading.

Like a number of the antiBID activists he neither lives in the town nor has any business interest in the town centre.

He is an Andover Town Councillor by co-option rather than election, a decision many now question given his continued failure to attend meetings. This includes several at which the town centre and BID were discussed.

The Town Council office is within the BID area (but just below the threshold for its levy) and the council currently pays half the costs of the Town Centre Management.

It would be irresponsible for councillors not to discuss the future of the town centre, the BID and form an opinion. Cllr Rowles has never previously raised issues regarding the town centre or BID and was the only councillor to oppose continued support of the town centre management and principle of the BID.

The BID process involves a vote by businesses and organisations in the town as to whether they wish to support a new company providing additional services over and above those provided by their councils. The assertion that the issue has divided the town is hardly true given that the matter concerns only some 250 businesses in the town centre. What is divisive is his attempt to politicise it for his own ends. In doing so he destroys his own case.

The council minutes are quite clear. I did not bring a Lib Dem motion to council.

I reported back as the council’s member of the town centre management team.

The report included a summary of the town council’s involvement in the town centre, details of the BID and recommended courses of action. The report was fully discussed and approved by a clear majority of councillors.

Party politics played no part in the debate or decisions made.

Cllr Len Gates, Linton Drive, Andover