Before we moved here over a year ago, my husband and I would often come to spend the day, from where we lived in Kent, as we loved the history, enjoyed the atmosphere, especially on the busy High Street, the lovely clean car parks and especially the friendliness and helpfulness of the local people. I had been introduced to Horsham a few years ago, as my daughter was a boarder at Christ’s Hospital School. Ever since we arrived, my daughter has wanted to open a shop in Horsham, but the expensive leaseholds and business rates make it impossible to even consider. Small business rate relief is not available, as all suitable properties are over the threshold. We have explored the markets but the sort of business she wants to open would not be possible in that domain. Has the council considered negotiating with the owners of these larger properties to partition off these shops and make smaller units, so they could be shared? Surely that is better than seeing boarded up shops and our lovely High Street becoming a ghost town? Smaller individual businesses would bring more people into Horsham which would help all the services. My daughter has spent months putting a business plan together, doing a lot of research, so that she is well versed about what she needs to know. All she needs is an opportunity to follow it through. CAROL BOWRING Little Grebe, Horsham