I AM grateful to the Review for giving me the opportunity to move forward on the debate about car parking charges in the Forest of Dean. The Review is particularly well placed as its coverage includes our neighbouring towns in Monmouthshire and Herefordshire where parking charges have recently been introduced.

I would particularly welcome any observations from traders and shoppers in those areas on the effects that car parking charges have had.

The Forest of Dean District Council is the authority that collects the council tax in our area. However, we keep only 14 pence in every pound. The rest goes to Gloucestershire County Council, the police authority and your local town or parish council.

Last April, the district council's portion of the council tax increased by 7.8 per cent. This was disguised by the fact that the county, police authority and many towns and parishes increased by more. The overall effect was that, for most people, the council tax increased by 10 per cent or more. As the tax collector, we usually carry the blame for others' increases.

However, 7.8 per cent was an uncomfortably high increase, and much higher than any increase since the Labour Party became the majority group on the council in 1991.

We were determined to take measures to prevent a similar situation in 2001-2002 and informally all parties agreed that any increase in council tax for 2001-2002 should be kept to a maximum of 5 per cent. It was in this context that the recommendation to include car parking charges was made.

For those with a head for figures, the budgetary situation is summarised in the adjoining table.

Space, and your readers' patience, will not allow me to elaborate on those figures, but those with a mind to can now ask the relevant questions. However, the initial move towards charging for car parking was entirely budget driven.

The figures on the adjoining table show that even if we make the projected savings (additional income) from car parking and do nothing else, the council tax would increase by 9 per cent, (completely unacceptable). Add to that the fact that we look like achieving nothing like the potential savings on public conveniences and the situation becomes more acute. Clearly, there is much more work to be done.

There is a perception that we have free car parks in the Forest of Dean. We don't. It is just that we have paid for them from the general fund, to which all council tax payers contribute, rather than asking those who use them to contribute towards them.

The cost to the revenue budget of providing car parks is £97,000 per annum. We have, since 1990, incurred capital costs of £852,100 in providing car parks. That will shortly increase by at least £300,000 when the new Heywood Road car park in Cinderford is built.

Those who reject the notion of car parking charges out of hand must realise that there is a consequence. You can be assured that we are looking for any potential efficiency savings, but in the end it will mean some additional cuts in services.

I remain convinced that some parking charges are justified. Initially this was for purely budgetary reasons. However, I have become more aware of the need to manage our car parks.

What is required is a comprehensive scheme for town centre car parking that addresses the need to encourage shoppers (perhaps with a period of free parking), the issue of on street parking particularly in residential areas close to town centres and the abuse of car parking facilities by town centre workers who occupy the most convenient shoppers' spaces all day.

That cannot be achieved without raising the resources necessary to manage the car parks and hopefully provide a useful contribution to our revenue.

I finish with some anecdotal evidence. On Saturday, October 28 at 12.30pm (a filthy wet afternoon), I went to look at Lydney's Newerne Street Car Park. There were approximately ten cars parked outside the marked spaces, causing inconvenience and potential danger. Most of the disabled spaces were occupied by non badge holders. Only one space became available whilst I was there to be immediately taken.

I decided to check on the overflow park, situated much further from the shops. I passed a young couple with a toddler who were struggling with their loaded Co-op trolley through the driving rain. The park was about half full and there were half a dozen abandoned supermarket trolleys. A system of charging would enable us to manage the car parks in a way that would help these young people.