A J FREEBORN, of Swannaton Road, Dartmouth, writes:

As expected, outrage, protests and petitions regarding new winter season parking proposals, plus the loss of a few parking places near road junctions. I for one, fully support the proposals to change the winter season seven month long sterilisation of large areas of prime parking, which has been wide open to abuse for far too long. Some businesses even using prime positions to station vehicles displaying their logos enjoying free advertising for the whole seven month winter season.

A shake up is long overdue and I for one fully support the reduction of the present large areas of seasonal parking and the freeing of some areas for short term parking.

If some people want reserved spaces near to their houses or businesses, fine, but they should be prepared to pay a fee for this, in the same way that places are reserved in the town car park.

In my own case, I would hope to be able to find a short term parking slot in Newcomen Road and South Town, thus enabling me to visit shops and businesses in the town in preference to trying to find one of the short term places in the centre and ending up turning around and going back home, having to try again another day.

Finally, I have one other gripe, which is non-controversial and has stubbornly been ignored by the county and district councils. That is the ludicrous sterilization of spaces outside the South Embankment toilets by the painting of double yellow lines with a cross-hatch when there needs to be two or three short term slots available. Apparently this has been refused because the traffic wardens (sorry, I can't remember their new grossly inflated titles) would be unable to visit the spaces frequently enough. A case of the tail wagging the dog as the saying goes.

Well, I suppose I will have to keep a low profile or go in disguise until the furore over the parking dies down, but I feel that my views do have some support and certainly needed to be said.