False premises

Stephen McGinty’s article on the dumbing down of Morningside’s retail outlets (16 September) prompts me to put finger to keyboard.

Why do so many of us accept that charity shops should not pay council tax on their premises? Many of them seem to me to buy in and sell a lot of brand new items as well as their pre-cherished merchandise.

Charity shops still expect to make use of the same public services paid for by everyone else, so why should they have this advantage over other struggling retailers?

If, as a result of withdrawing this privilege, there were to be more vacant retail units then the ever rising rentals might have to be reduced to attract tenants, thus tempting new young businesses to start up in the high street.

In fact, would it not be more useful if the council reduced council tax on new start-up retailers, perhaps on a sliding scale, to help get them established?

Neil R Hynd

Newmains Farm Steading

North Berwick