I would like to clarify various points with regards to your article Parallel Parking especially the misleading responses from Cllr Robinson, the Cabinet Member for Efficiency? and Planning?

Firstly, my question to Cllr Robinson was regarding the income from car parking fees for the periods 2012/13 and 2013/14.

He stated in response to my question at full council on July 17, that 'from a financial point of view, the car parks have been very successful' – really?

He stated that a surplus of £5,800 was made on an income of £132,000 for the period 2013/14.

What he failed to reveal was that a deficit of £38,000 was produced for the period 2012/13, and thereby a loss of £33,000 was made for those periods.

The figures attributed to the period 2013/14 also show a glaring lack of information for the costs of running Redbrook car park.

This leads me to conclude that this information, is deliberately missing and that his £5,800 surplus which he talks about is in fact again a deficit for that period.

Little wonder then that Cllr Robinson only wants to share general income information and not specific car parks income. Whatever happened to transparency?

Cllr Robinson's 'strategy' for car parking revenue income has had more twists and turns than a soap opera.

The initial 20p per hour for car parking was introduced in July 2012, and we were told that it would be for the life of this administration (until May 2015).

However, in February 2014 he proposed an increase of a minimum of 40p per hour unless, of course, you lived in Mitcheldean where it would be 20p per hour (convenient that, especially if you are that village's elected representative which he is.)

This proposal was defeated at full council, and then next out of the hat came a massive climb down and an offer of – wait for it – Mitcheldean car park, 50 per cent free car parking spaces and the rest of us 20p for two hours.

Cllr Robinson states that 'he has been listening to our concerns'. Clearly he has, but only in Mitcheldean it appears.

Since the introduction of car parking charges, revenue from this 'stealth tax' has dropped across the Forest of Dean by 25 per cent, when comparing the periods 2012/13 to 2013/14.

A further drop in revenue is now likely that a 20p for two hours rate has been introduced.

In Coleford revenue, and therefore footfall, in the town has fallen by 27 per cent over the two periods.

Further 21 shops and businesses have closed in that town.

In Redbrook the income is circa £9 per week on average despite the leader of the council calling that car park a tourist cash cow.

What about the same regime being offered to Redbrook that is now in place in Mitcheldean?

All the costs associated with car parking (apart from business rates) have been created because of the introduction of this regime, and therefore save the taxpayer virtually nothing.

At best, car-parking income raises little and, in fact, to date is costing the council taxpayer thousands of pounds to keep this in place.

The misery that car parking charging has caused for communities and businesses in towns and villages cannot be justified and most certainly not for a few pounds.

Cllr Robinson, doesn't have a clue what to do about car parking charges, but simply indulges himself in the belief that somehow the car parks are being paid for by the electorate – as I say 'parallel universe' thinking.

This Conservative-run council has been in control since 2007, and their legacy is job losses across the Forest, slashing of council services (including tourist information offices – the Forest's biggest earner), run-down town centres and a £1.2 million pound deficit which awaits the new administration in May 2015. You really couldn't write this stuff.

– Cllr Paul McMahon (Lab), Forest of Dean District Council, Coleford East.