YOUR leading article “Council’s snub for local firms” (Hereford Times, October 17) featured a complaint by Jonathan Cook that the job of selling off a combination of junk from the attic and “crown jewels” should have been given to local companies by Herefordshire Council.

You support this in your editorial, saying: “We say local agents should be given a shot at these sales.”

I am sure that all Herefordians would like, all things being equal, to place business with Herefordshire based companies.

However, not all things are equal.

On the one hand, doing this business you have Lambert Smith Hampton, a company that you report had been chosen by national Government in a best value tender exercise as selling agent, a multinational business with extensive links into the world of property investment and agency and, on the other side, we have a set of local agents who, with the greatest of respect, do not have that degree of breadth and clout.

What matters here is not whether “cash strapped Herefordshire Council” puts a few coppers into local businesses but whether it gets the very best possible price for what it is selling for the benefit of local taxpayers.

You go on to report that in the July auction, the freehold of the site that my company has occupied for 53 years was offered for sale.

In the run up to the auction, we took advice from both local and national valuers as to the possible value of the site. When the hammer fell, the price we paid was considerably above the figure either local or national agents had suggested. Well done Lambert Smith Hampton, well done Herefordshire Council.

At the July auction, Herefordshire Council was not the only council selling. Newcastle, Woodspring and Torfaen were amongst those also selling along with banks, property investors and son on.

When the “cash strapped” council pulls in £1.5 million from sales, I think it should be congratulated.

We need to get away from the culture of relentless criticism and negativity for which the Hereford Times appears to be the chief cheerleader.

My feeling is that the council is doing what, at any time, is a difficult job in very difficult economic circumstances.

When they get things right, as I believe they have on this occasion, congratulations and not criticism should be in order.

R G BARTUP, Director, G B Liners Limited, Holmer Road, Hereford.