THE issue of parking is causing grave concern in the town.

One employer said his business was losing hundreds of pounds each week in lost time as staff search for parking spots.

Another employer went so far as to say that members of Cotswold District Council (CDC) councillors should resign, saying "that they are not fit for purpose."

These comments are being made now, before the proposed development at Chesterton of 2,350 houses goes ahead, which we believe is a planning disaster in the making.

We at Save our Cirencester (SOC) have produced data that shows, (when measured against towns throughout the UK of a similar size), that Cirencester will was shown to be hit the heaviest, with two-and-a-half times the average of new houses per 1,000 residents, i.e. 17 as opposed to an average of about seven.

Yet CDC response was to say, "that there is little point in making comparisons as no one place is identical to any other."

We believe their approach to matters is one of unbelievable arrogance, coupled with a ‘we know best' attitude’, clearly illustrated by the mess this town is in with regard to car parking. 

The latest example of their breathtaking arrogance, is to spend £25,000 of taxpayers money, to carry out a feasibility study, to look into linking up with West Oxfordshire to become a unitary authority, where is their mandate to do this?

This approach overlooks the fact, that they have a responsibility to listen to the community, a community they are supposed to serve, and we will do everything we can to ensure they do just that. 

MARK PRATLEY
Chairman of SOC