Reader’s letter: Stones decision needs justifying

So, Newark and Sherwood District Council have forced through the decision to place the Kiddey Stones.

Having so far paid out £15,175 on a feasibility study and restoration of said stones, they are saying the cost to move them from a storage area to a prepared area in front of Castle House, will be over £87,000 (if I am a betting man, I would bet that this cost will be in excess of £120,000).

How can this be justified?

I hope my private thoughts on this are wrong.

The money you are proposing to spend is not yours. It was purloined from the public and local business sector via taxation. Any monies from the government also comes out of taxes.

It is our money — the public’s, at the end of the day — so needs justification before implementing.

Newark’s retail sector is falling apart judging by the numbers closing and more will follow as a result of this government’s known plans.

Apart from Saturdays, there is not the footfall in the town centre to support a full quota of businesses.

This and previous councils are playing at being forward thinking, but for any decision there has to be a positive yes or no.

In this current trading climate, as I write this, the economy has fallen for the second month running so I would put the stones in the ‘no’ category.

Costs charged to a business should be halved.

Businesses have so many costs to carry, costs are rising by the day, every year councils put up their costs and badly affect the survival of the towns and districts.

This council, in fact all councils and government, should be fighting inflation by reducing, or at least freezing, its spending.

However, the stones are looked upon, in the context of how this town and district wants to survive and even grow, the Kiddey Stones want to be left where they are, unless a way to move them for almost free can be found. — BRIAN CLARK, Balderton.