I have hesitated to enter the 'Great Car Park' debate but I cannot allow Peter Jones's letter to go unchallenged.

I have the advantage of Mr Jones in that I have attended all public council meetings at which car parking charges have been discussed over the past couple of years and I am familiar with the arguments on both sides.

These meetings include cabinet, scrutiny (twice) and full council. The charges were not pushed through by cabinet but were agreed at full council in December when an opposition motion to delay charges was defeated. Cabinet members are appointed from within elected Conservative members of the council, just as happens in central government. The Conservative party won an overall majority in the Forest last May and thus does not need to govern through a coalition.

One may not agree with the cabinet system, but the council is governing correctly within the constraints of this system.

An intriguing figure was given at last week's cabinet meeting. Apparently £25 million of general taxpayers' money comes back into the Forest each year in the form of benefits which should go some way to alleviate hardship. Incidentally, I do not know where Mr Jones picked up his figure of £150 p.a. for average council tax charges, but I suspect he should add another 0.

One aspect of current council-owned car parks that has not been sufficiently emphasised is that they are not 'free'. They attract high business rates, paid through the council tax, and these rates go straight to central government. Of course, those Forest residents who, for whatever reason, do not pay council tax will not be troubled by this because someone else is paying. The council has repeatedly asked for suggestions for cutting services or increasing revenue that does not include raising the council tax, but nothing viable has been forthcoming.

Mr Jones does not need to travel to Monmouth to use 'free' car parks. The Forest supermarkets do not charge customers for the use of their car parks, either. If he goes into Monmouth or Chepstow town parks he will pay, and pay more then he will have to in the Forest in July.

– Dr Daphne Pearson, Tinman's Green, Redbrook.