PARKING charges, double yellow lines and street signate clutter, are the main reason our small towns are failing.

I've recently returned from a trip to New Zealand, where I didn't have to pay a penny to park anywhere. On both Islands small towns have plenty of chevron style, free-parking bays down the side of roads so that you can pull up right in front of shops. You have the time to chat to people, wander around and browse without the constant fear of going "over" your allotted time and incurring fines.

With the exception of the centres of the largest cities, New Zealand's laid back approach is to welcome locals and tourists to their towns by offering plenty of spaces absolutely free. Pavements can sometimes be a little narrower on one side of the street, to allow for a full row of chevron style parking bays – but it works just fine. Small towns and villages also have free, clean public toilets – they even have them on top of mountains! Why doesn't the Forest of Dean Council consider making it easier for people to visit rather than deterring with high charges, bureaucratic designated parking bays with wardens and accompanying signage clutter and lines?

Recently, in Chepstow, I wished to post a parcel. The post office is now at the bottom of Welsh Street near to the arch traffic lights. There's nowhere to park except in the council car park behind the library. It cost me 80p for three minutes of parking. If the Forest of Dean Council insists on bringing in parking charges and meters to our Forest towns then the towns will die, businesses will close and they'll lose revenue in the long term. Wouldn't it be better to use a bit of radical thinking and designate the whole of the Royal Forest of Dean and Wye Valley a "free parking zone" – then visitors would flock to the area and locals would benefit too.

Thankfully, in the village of St. Briavels, where I have my art gallery and studio, there's still free, on-street parking available but the public loos were closed four years ago. As soon as yellow lines and charges arrive – I'm off to New Zealand.

– D. Mariana Robinson, Mariana-Art Gallery, St. Briavels.