Man at SRBC??

[noel]

Hi Julie, and welcome
I saw the man for the first time last week walking past Tesco towards SRBC.
As you say, astonded at his staying power. I wanted to photograph him but hadn't the nerve to ask his permission.

[LDunlop76]

Hello, Julie. Now you've introduced yourself, no more lurking shyly at the back - please join in! We don't bite!

[Karen]

Hello Julie,[]

Welcome to the forum[]

The Duchess.

[shuffy]

Hi Julie yes welcome and do join in.

[cavvies]

Ahh, thankyou for your warm welcomes everyone. [:I] Will definately be checking this site regularly from now on.

take care.

julie

[rossy]

If this man is complaining that other people (Council members or not) should pay more for runing a small busines from home he should mind his own busines, people pay enough already.

[noel]

If it's something like say a taxi firm operating all hours of the day and night without a licence he has every right to complain.

[Spitfire]

I have to fully agree with Noel on this one. It all depends of course on what the home business is and how it impacts upon the neighbours. A little old lady sticking envelopes at a penny per hundred would be no trouble to anyone. On the other hand somebody running a delivery service and operating a 1 1/2ton van from a recedential area (as in the case of my neighbour)makes it very much my business. As for paying enough already Rossy, do you mean normal recedential rates, or business rates (always assuming that the person has had permission to operate a business from home in the first place)?
If you think I`m getting hot under the collar on this subject - too right I am. Many is the time that I`ve felt like joining the man at SRBC.

[noel]

I'd gladly sign his petition.
============================================================

At the centre of his protest are his neighbours - councillors Melvyn and Dorothy Gardener - who run a taxi business from their premises called M & D Travel. They also run a small wholesale business selling from a van.
Mr Wilkinson thinks they should be paying business rates and has made a series of complaints about the husband and wife team - none of which have been unheld.
However, he says he's refusing to budge until he gets a resolution.
He claimed: "They have a taxi, a bus and a van. I have over 500 signatures on my petition against them - they are not paying business tax and I believe this is illegal according to the council's own regulations.
"The van sounds like a Sherman tank, they are devaluing my property.
"Obviously I am in my retirement and I don't want to be disturbed at night. All my assets are tied up in my house and it's being devalued."

[mick]

I'm all for this kind of citizen action whether it turns out to be an issue of business tax being owed or not. The point is residential premises are just that - and are not business premises. It is one thing to park your business vehicle at home, but quite another to be coming and going at all hours and weekends.
Perhaps this is the mans cause of complaint, in which case he has my long distance support too.
Noel if you would like to talk and ask for his photo, can I suggest next time you pass by you could take him a cup of hot soup to break the ice, I'm sure he would be pleased to talk to you then.