I AM writing to you as I have been trying to understand any logic that may have taken place in respect of the decisions made by the local council in respect of the new Malmesbury Waitrose store. They have had to install barriers to gain entrance and to exit the store.

There have been some occasions when people have forgotten to validate their ticket and have failed to exit, thus causing hold-ups. Dropped tickets are also some of the issues.

I am informed that this was a requirement by the council in order that the Waitrose car park cannot be used by people who go into town, thus depriving the council of parking fees.

We know that trying to obtain a car parking space is a trying experience in any event! If this is true, then there is an easy solution.

In the store located at Cirencester and at the Co-op locally, individuals monitor the car park.

Who came up with the condition that Waitrose can only serve coffee and their soup in carton cups?

The reasoning behind this (and I use the word ‘reasoning’ guardedly) I am told is that if they used china, this would take business away from the local coffee shops. I frequent the local coffee shops who provide an efficient and very friendly service so the fact that I may have a cup of coffee in Waitrose makes no difference to me and I dare say a lot of other people. I object to being told I cannot have this or that.

Could it be that the people who imposed these conditions are either full of their own importance or that they did not want Waitrose in the first instance? Please get these idiotic impositions removed.

MARIO ASCIAK

Malmesbury