OUR local council has heard many reasons why they should not go ahead with parking charges at Forest of Dean car parks. There is still time to change this proposal and to leave things as they are...

I'll remind our council of just a few of these.

Mary Portas has suggested one of the best ways of attracting customers into towns and cities is to scrap car parking fees. Gloucester City council has made reductions, the Stroud council has scrapped fees altogether. Doesn't that prove anything?

There are genuine fears from local traders that their areas will become ghost towns. It will mean fewer tourists stopping to shop and visitors and locals choosing not to stop, seeking to do their shopping elsewhere!

In all the information sent out at last year's elections did we see any mention of introducing parking fees in the future?

I am glad to see that council workers may have to pay fees for parking at the HQ?centre car parks in Coleford. These must cost thousands to maintain.

So let's see if our councillors and their employees can show us by example.

– Peter Colley, Coalway.