I was shocked to read in the Echo that the borough council has refused to grant concessionary rate relief to a charity shop, citing that additional relief for charity shops may have an effect on other town businesses. What are they talking about?

Without charity shops, most town centres would have died long before now. If one were to go along St Mary Street or St Thomas Street and count the number of busy charity shops and then imagine how those areas would look if they were all closed down leaving empty shops in their place, one cannot visualise a more sad looking town.

This is the same country wide and charity shops are also a source of enjoyment for people to browse and maybe pick up a bargain which they might otherwise not have seen or be able to afford.

Give locals and visitors something to come into Weymouth for and give charities a break!

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