Three of your letters about the proposed Waterloo multi-storey car park

Letters must be emailed - send to letters@wiltsglosstandard.co.uk

A monstrosity!

RE the Waterloo Multi-storey Car Park

Congratulations to Cotswold District Council on the very wise decision to postpone for a year the decision on this controversial Cirencester development.

No studies have yet been published on its effect on increased traffic congestion and air pollution along Burford Road and London Road to the five-way traffic lights at the Waterloo junction – which suggests that the advocates of this £15 million “monstrous carbuncle” know that this will be a contentious issue.

Since March there has been no parking problem in Cirencester, and life will not be the same for any one after the Covid 19 pandemic.

More people are now shopping online rather than in stores, and more are working online from home rather than the office.

It remains to be seen how this will develop, but we will have a better idea in summer 2021.

More parking has been provided at the old hospital site and a new car park is being constructed at the rugby club, so there is no immediate need for more.

This will give CDC time to plan alternatives including improvements to bus services, encouragement of walking and cycling, and for car users the provision of ‘park and stride’ car parks away from the town centre.

Also some local businesses may be able to provide their employees with their own all-day parking a few minutes walk from the office

Car parking charges have not changed for a decade so an increase sometime was inevitable.

And if £15 million was spent on the Waterloo multi-storey car park this would have to be paid for.

John Nicholas

Cirencester

Wise decision

CONGRATULATIONS to Joe Harris and the CDC cabinet for making a difficult but wise decision to put the proposed Waterloo multi-storey car park on hold.

All decision makers at every level of government face an uncertain future.

This pandemic, a surge in the habit of online buying together with anticipated transport changes and other factors will drastically alter the nature of the High Street.

Sadly so many enterprising traders who have served us so faithfully over time are now very vulnerable.

An enforced pause will give a splendid opportunity to take an objective investigation into the best way to further enhance our lovely town and at the same time make sure that visitors are welcome.

Don Pines

Cirencester

Well done on delaying

MAY I applaud the cabinet of CDC for their decision to delay further consideration to build a multi-storey carpark at the Waterloo in Cirencester.

The cabinet has recognised that this is not the time to embark on such a project because we have no idea what life will be like in 12 / 18 months time.

The cabinet has clearly recognised that, following the Covid 19 pandemic, local authority finances are going to be very tight as priorities change and new demands are made of councils.

In addition, life, following the pandemic, will inevitably be very different from life back in March this year.

Perhaps, in a year’s time, many more people will be working from home permanently, there may be greater use of bikes and electric scooters, public transport may have been improved and the mix of retailers in the high street will almost certainly have changed greatly.

This, in turn, may very well result in a substantial reduction in traffic volumes in the town.

As a result, maybe, just maybe, the current provision of car park spaces together with the planned provision at the rugby club and The Kennels may be more than sufficient for the town’s needs in future.

Joe Harris and his cabinet are right to pause, draw breath and take time to reassess our needs and priorities as we emerge from the grip of an unprecedented emergency.

Colin Young

Cirencester