[Ken Moss]

Taking your points in order...

1) I stand corrected, but you could have become a tory councillor if they and not labour had responded..point I was making still stands, you need either money to burn or a party to be elected

In all honesty, I don't think I would have ever gone Tory. I'm from a Labour background and although I have been able to appreciate what the national Tories have been trying to do over the years I don't care for the way they have gone about it. The local Tory leader would not have endeared himself to me even back then and I actually got more engagement out of the then Independent leader, the late Cllr Dave Mason. The major drag factor would have been Britcliffe, I simply could not work with someone who rubbed me that far up the wrong way.

2) A good representative is one who does exactly what he is elected to do..represent the majority, vocal or otherwise. Just because you think you are the only one who is aware of both sides of an issue does not make it so.

Yes, but the majority are NEVER the most vocal. It is recognising that fact and still doing what needs to be done for the long term best whilst taking an incredible amount of public flak that is the hard part.

3) In a nutshell...Noise pollution, ASB, traffic...all police matters. If you want to support local business stop fixing things that ain't broke. Larger companies will not come here regardless of whether Whitebirk is constructed or not. Central government has stopped you raising the council tax etc..etc..etc..

Exactly, but I still have to deal with it. That argument also flies in the opposite direction, if there was no demand for larger companies why would they come to Whitebirk? I have no doubt that they would in time but that doesn't get around the central problem (I'll answer that with your last point).

4) Don't think anyone has EVER accused you of troughing expenses.

Oh believe me, they have. I can show them all the published figures but I somehow am still fiddling things and abusing my power. Two residents in particular are convinced that being elected onto the committees of the Free Gardeners Club and the People's Centre is evidence of me using my influence to get ahead. Why let the truth get in the way of a good imagination?

5) Nobody said it was easy, but again do not assume that you are the only one with the intelligence to research the pros and cons of an argument.

I'd never say that and I apologise if that's how it came across but there is far more to most problems than simply pleasing the public. The vast majority of problems/developments are determined by money but a big one-off dollop of cash for HBC in S106 monies for approving a scheme is useless if it has long-term damaging effects on the rest of the local economy.

6) Kindly explain why Whitebirk has more negatives than positives (after all that is the crux of this discussion), you could start with... how it will impact on the town centre redevelopment? what large stores have promised to take up residence in the Arndale if Whitebirk does not go ahead?, how many local jobs will be lost/gained?, what will the cost of this development be to the local taxpayers?

I don't know that anyone has refused to go into the Arndale in connection with Whitebirk but it would certainly damage traders who are already in Accrington. If we are struggling to lure big names into Accrington without any competition on the doorstep just imagine what will happen when there is.

I have never held with this 'number of local jobs to be created' because it always sounds better than it is in actuality. Zero hours contracts, part time shifts, hardly any full time jobs at all is the likely reality but dressing it up as 1000 new jobs for local people sounds pretty lovely doesn't it?

The cost to the local taxpayer will be in terms of lost tax revenue. You open up new units in direct competition with dozens of smaller businesses already doing the same thing and the larger business will usually win. The smaller businesses close, all that revenue disappears and you end up with empty shops in return for business tax from just one unit. It speaks volumes that even Blackburn Council don't want it when they already have retail parks of their own. I'm no fan of BwDBC but the simple fact remains that there is only so much money to go around and so you end up damaging everyone by opening up direct competition.

Fair play to you for standing your corner, it's more than the other lurking wet blankets ever do.

Thank you. I've never been afraid to speak my mind which surprises some people but at least you know what you're voting for with me.