I THINK it is time to raise a dissenting voice in the seemingly never-ending stream of complaints about parking in Cirencester – either a lack of parking spaces or the 'high cost'.
Maybe I am just lucky, but I rarely find it difficult to find a space to park in Dyer Street, or the Forum or Market Place car parks. Today, the day before Good Friday and a busy bank holiday weekend, I drove through the town centre at 3pm. There were two spaces in the Market Place and a further two in Dyer Street.
A recent correspondent wrote of his wife driving round twice and then "going to shop elsewhere". How long would it have taken to get to "elsewhere", by comparison with going round the block once more; and how could she guarantee to get a parking space when she got there?
People also complain about the cost of parking in Cirencester. Even were it to cost £5 to park for an hour compared with, say, £1.50 in Cheltenham (and it actually costs more than that), by the time you have added the cost of getting there and back – 18 miles each way at 40p per mile – Cheltenham has come up to over £15.
Cirencester is very good value.
BEN WOODS
Shepherds Way
Cirencester
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here