MALCOLM OWELL, of Foss Street, Dartmouth, writes:

Much of the Dartmouth parking problem is self-inflicted. In the 1980s, the town was offered a new car park by South West Water. This was to be built in that area of mud just below the Higher Ferry in return for a site for the company's pumping station. The then town council rejected the idea.

Also in the 1980s, the harbour authority greatly increased the number of berths between the Higher and Lower ferries by doubling up. Although marinas must provide sufficient parking spaces, this did not apply to the harbour authority – thereby increasing parking problems in the town during the summer months.

South Hams Council has now given tacit agreement to the building of some 400 homes on the edge of the town, each with space for two cars.

There is neither the space nor money to provide an additional car park in the lower town and, as many of your correspondents have said, our short-term solution must lie with an improvement to the park and ride. We need to restrict the number of cars in lower Dartmouth during the height of summer and the simplest way this could be achieved is by greatly improving the park and ride so that it becomes the first choice for those visiting the town.