My recent blog highlighted a new tax on business, the street traders licence. £409 a year per van to fund someone to police traders. We don’t have a problem in Clare, or surrounding villages, with street traders in vans that needs policing.

There is also another new tax, the pavement licence. A small cafe wanting to put a couple of chairs and a table outside now needs to pay £500 a year tax. Having a cup of coffee outside, in the summer, watching the world go by is fantastic but is about to be taxed away.

I have written to the portfolio holder explaining one size fits all licences is just not fair on the smaller villages and towns. I have finally had a response and interestingly I am told there is now a review of both the pavement and street traders licence to see what can be done. It seems my message to the council has had some impact.

Tonight I have been assured, by a senior member of the West Suffolk Council management team, that they are looking very closely at this. Odd they didn’t do it in November when they introduced these charges!

Fingers crossed.