I AM writing this letter to express my concern over the securitisation project that has been proposed by West Dunbartonshire Council.

I am absolutely appalled at the idea of what this could do to the businesses throughout West Dunbartonshire and therefore the huge impact it will have on our already diminishing high streets.

The council is basically going to borrow a lump sum of money from the banks who will then take over in collecting the rents from these shops for at least the next 25 years.

Although the shops will still be owned by the council they will receive nothing from them and will have no say in what the rates are.

As you can imagine these rates will be going up at over the rate of inflation so that these fat cat bankers will be able to take as much profit from these businesses as they can.

But as we have seen over the last few years across Clydebank, Vale and Dumbarton the people who will pay the cost will be the small businesses who will be run out of business and the people in the communities who will lose even more shops and amenities that we can't afford to lose.

Meanwhile the banks will be rubbing their hands with glee at paying out so little and sitting back and waiting for the profit to roll in.

Michelle Stewart, address supplied