FOR many decades now the cost of maintaining the public car parks in the Forest of Dean District has been met from council tax and previously the rates system. For any member of the district council cabinet to deny that the soon to be introduced parking charges is anything other than a stealth tax is at best misleading and at worst downright dishonest. Councillor Robinson waffles on again in another newspaper that it is "only fair that the cost of the car parks should be borne by the car users rather than the council tax payers." Yes Mr Robinson, the same could be said for subsidies to the public transport system, the libraries, the arts and many, many more local schemes and organisations that rely on council tax assistance to survive. Perhaps these are the next targets!

Mr Robinson describes the difficulties faced by visitors to the towns in finding a parking space. What absolute nonsense! Have no fear Mr Robinson, from July onwards they will enjoy the pleasure of empty car parks, and if it is a cup of coffee that they are wanting, they might well find that the coffee shops and cafes were the first to suffer because of the car parking charges introduction!

Can the district council cabinet confirm or otherwise that the district council offices car park in Coleford will also be a "Pay and Display" facility? This car park after all is maintained, is it not, from council tax revenue? With regard to the future use of council offices within HQ, and hence the car park, by the police and possible private companies, will the council confirm that employees of these companies and the police will also be required to pay for the car parking facility?

Unless I am mistaken, did not our illustrious Prime Minister and his cohorts promise that additional funding would be available to councils to enable the freezing of council tax? Well district council, if this is the case, why is it necessary then to bring in an additional local stealth tax and how much additional funding has been forthcoming from Cameron's crew? Perhaps this has been yet another empty promise by Cameron as was the "Fuel tax equaliser" and the promise not to increase VAT.

One very puzzling factor in this car parking charges saga is that apart from the fact that the scheme was imposed without public consultation, and a 7,000 name petition was totally ignored, the cabinet decision was surely put to the full council for a vote. With so many councillors obviously being aware of the public anger against the proposal, and the fact that we live in a democracy with councillors supposedly representing their electorate, how on earth was it voted through?

Perhaps it would be a worthwhile exercise for this newspaper to publish the names and wards of the cabinet members and the councillors who voted for parking charges in order that in a true democratic fashion we may thank them in the traditional manner at the ballot box when the next elections are due.

Alternatively since the whole scheme has been agreed in such an undemocratic manner perhaps the cabinet members should resign their seats forthwith and put themselves up for re-election on the parking charges ticket (pardon the pun).

Let us be absolutely clear that this charging regime is just the thin end of the wedge. Next year when the district council are once again strapped for cash it will be just too easy to increase the parking charges to remedy the shortfall and the same for the subsequent years and in a very short time we will be paying £1.50 per hour. Just look at how Gloucester city has been killed off regarding shopping, with car parking charges a major factor. The cash cow will be there for the council to milk forever!

If the Forest folk can defeat the national government with its HOOF campaign, is there not a real chance that the district council can be persuaded to reconsider its decision if sufficient members or car users bombard the council leader, at Forest of Dean District Council, Coleford, with a very simple letter opposing the charging policy. To do nothing is not an alternative.

– 'Forest Will' Yorkley.