CLLR Brian Robinson seems to be of the opinion that the recession has gone away. He must live on a different planet to Forest residents. Parking charges will affect trade but businesses will still have to pay the same community charges into Forest of Dean District Council coffers.

Take Coleford as an example. It is struggling. A?small town with five charity shops, a rubbish bus service and its fair share of elderly people. The last thing it needs is parking charges that are sure to affect the wellbeing of the town. When these charges are introduced it will not be long before street parking charges are brought in to make sure every motorist pays to park. The residential areas of the Forest will have to have yellow lines in all streets to make sure motorists pay.

Parking charges would be a cash cow and nothing else. Cllr Robinson states that charges will improve availability of spaces. Rubbish!

Motorists who have no choice but to use these spaces will still have to use them. I put it to Cllr Robinson and Forest of Dean District Council that parking charges are just another way of squeezing more money out of hard-pressed Forest motorists who already pay for these car parks in their community charge bills.

Another point Cllr Robinson makes is why should people who don't use Forest of Dean District Council car parks have to pay a portion of community charge towards the upkeep of them? I wonder if these community charge payers will get a reduction if and when parking charges are introduced?

Cllr Robinson acknowledges fuel costs are high, yet he can see no wrong in his commitment to introducing parking charges. This makes no sense whatsoever. He is most definitely living on that different planet. His attitude seems to be, every other local authority is at it so let us jump on the bandwagon and make the motorist pay. Tough!

His comments on 'car sharing' I find laughable. The Forest of Dean is not London, Bristol, Cardiff etc. How many motorists using Forest car parks need to share? Not many.

Preparations for parking charges have been in progress for months, maybe years. One only has to witness repairs and improvements and people taking notes on car park use.

I urge people to put their protests in writing. Councillors should think hard before and during their meeting and not introduce this 'rip off' which will only cause further expense to struggling Forest motorists.

Finally, will council employees at all levels have to pay to park, even in the council office car park, just like everyone else? No permits.

If parking charges are introduced I shall make it my business to find out.

– R.J. Evans, St Briavels.