Madam,

I must express disquiet at the apparent lack of impartiality by Bronwen Morgan, chief executive of Ceredigion County Council, in the manner in which she has acted as ballot holder for the Business Improvement District (BID) for Aberystwyth.

Cllr Gareth Lloyd, Cabinet member with responsibility for economic and community development service, has clearly indicated the partiality of the council in stating that “Ceredigion County Council supports the development of a BID in Aberystwyth, both as a stakeholder and levy payer”.

There are signs in two of the windows of the former Threshers off-licence, situated on the corner of Corporation Street, opposite Ceredigion Museum, indicating that it is to let by the county council. There are also 11 posters advertising Advancing Aberystwyth – the organisation that is to manage the BID levy. The county council is thus using an empty shop to advertise to all and sundry that it supports the BID. According to your article of 24 March, the council cast 14 votes in favour of the BID. They have “to let” notices in at least three premises in the BID area. Presumably all these have been given votes in the ballot. I wonder how many other landlords of vacant properties in central Aberystwyth even received the voting forms, let alone completed and returned them. How would they know the likely manner in which any prospective tenant might have voted?

I understand that the county council sent out the ballot papers folded inside a leaflet promoting the BID. If this were a local or general election would a single political party be able to send out the voting forms with one of their political pamphlets, receive back the completed ballots, count them, decide which were invalid and announce the result? I think a large proportion of the electorate and the Electoral Commission would soon have something to say about that. I am concerned that the county council should act in such an undemocratic manner considering that it is responsible for electoral services in Ceredigion.I think the BID ballot should have been carried out by an independent organisation such as the Electoral Reform Society.

Yours etc

David Kirby

Cae Melyn

Aberystwyth.