THE proposed increase in car parking charges to £2 minimum has quite rightly been a controversial move by the Green Party leadership.

However, I would like to put some perspective to this ‘financial problem’ as the Greens call it of about £15K a year loss. .

Council Tax payers, of which a “conservative “ estimate (with a small c) is some 5,000 households within the councils area, but possibly more, contribute towards this ‘loss’.

To continue with the status quo of the existing car parking loss would mean a Council Tax rise of £3 a year, or 25 pence a month per household.

Peanuts by today’s standards for such a valuable asset to our everyday local lives.

I can hear the Greens reactions to this as I write!

That means that people who don’t own a car will be subsidising those that do.

Cobblers springs to mind on that one.

ALL council tax payers contribute locally towards schools even if they have no children themselves.

ALL council tax payers contribute towards pavement and pothole resurfacing, even if they don’t own a vehicle, and ALL Council Tax payers contribute towards policing and local social services even if they don’t personally use them.

They all contribute towards the common local good for the benefit of local society.

The status quo of today’s car parking charges are part of that same sense of local overall wellbeing and makes for a happier local community at the present price.

The proposed increase by the ‘Greens’ to a minimum of £2 is out of all proportion to the benefits of the local community.

So on your head be it Mr Topping and Co.

Edward Kynaston, Lydney.