I WAS very pleased to see in last week’s Standard that CDC is commissioning a study on parking in Cirencester. I’d like to make two points to Councillor Hancock who is leading the study, which I hope he can take into consideration.

First, I am sure that many people are put off coming into town by having to pay to park in all but a very few free bays.

“Everyone believes” more people would pop into town if there was an initial free period, and the recent well-publicised experience in Cardigan proves this.

Secondly, it is increasingly difficult to find any spaces, with so many being filled by people with season tickets.

Many of these people, depend on visitors to generate their income in shops, restaurants, banks etc., but if they have taken all the spaces, then visitors will go elsewhere or online.

I expect that only 10 per cent of the spaces are actually taken by season tickets, but nevertheless, imagine going into the car park and finding every 10th space is unoccupied – it makes a big difference.

So, how about helping the workers, by creating a new “park and stride” parking space with a suitably attractive rates?

I am sure CDC can find a suitable location. One which occurs to me is the land on the right hand side of Burford Road, just before the roundabout at the entrance to the town.

This site could be sympathetically screened with new trees and is just a short walk either along London Road or through the Abbey Grounds to the town centre.

Please Councillor Hancock, come up with a good plan to incentivise visitors and give them parking space, before the occupants of the new Chesterton development are also trying to find somewhere to park.

JOHN ALLAN

Dukes Field