It has come to my attention that this Government has delivered a double whammy to local people in its 24-hour drinking legislation, the introduction of which now has to be administered by a hard pressed local government.

The Government is hitting Kennet District Council hard with the new licensing legislation which will once again eat into our costs and demonstrates that local government is the convenient 'fall guy' for yet another Government stealth tax.

I now understand that the rules will also gag local councillors. They will not be able to object to unreasonable applications for extensions unless they are the councillors who represent the ward where the licence is being applied for, therefore preventing the voice of local people being heard, because they will be considered 'biased'.

But it is Catch 22. If councillors live locally they have to 'declare an interest' and are disqualified from voting. This is an ill thought out and hurriedly imposed policy.

If we hope to encourage any young, effective people to become councillors, this method of tying their hands and making it impossible for a councillor to represent their electorate, is not the way to go about it.

I would like to reiterate that I voted that our allowances should be brought into line with the Government's recommended amount so that working people can afford to become councillors. We are not all retired and well off. We do not have to take it and, as has been stated in your pages, many of us do not do so.

Coun J Combe (CON)

Blackbirds

Bishop's Cannings