I UNDERSTAND the Forest of Dean District Council is going to start charging for parking in Coleford.

I am concerned that many people will stop coming into town to buy odd things like bread, milk, newspapers and to collect prescriptions if they have to pay to park for what could be approximately 20 minutes.

Surely a system could be put in like in other areas whereby you can take a ticket which allows you to park free for the first 30 minutes but then pay if you go over this period of time then a higher charge could be levied. This might help retain the small businesses and the unique nature of Coleford and not destroy business and employment.

Although this will still not help the people like me who work in town and will have to pay to park all day, it will, hopefully, still encourage people to use the small shops rather than go to supermarkets for free parking and therefore make my job, as others like myself, a little more secure in this uncertain time.

– Name and address supplied, Blakeney.