I HAVE just watched the latest excruciating You Tube offering from the Lib Dem run Cotswold District Council, writes David Fowles from Cirencester.

The video featured councillors Joe Harris, Mike Evemy and Lisa Spivey extolling the virtues of the new ‘20 mins free’ parking bays.

No sooner had I watched it than I bumped into a colleague in town whose first words were ‘have you seen that painful video, it’s wrong on every level!’

Firstly, poor Cllr Spivey is presented as some kind tea lady uttering the immortal words ‘fancy a cuppa?’

Next we are subjected to Cllr Harris contriving to say ‘we haven’t got any milk, I’ll just ring Mike to ask him to pick up a pint on his way in!’ Who wrote this stuff?!

Next Cllr Evemy is seen breezing into the Forum car park in his 4x4 and parking across two of the four new ‘20 min free’ parking bays as ‘he nips into M & S’.

No DVLA prize for your driving skills, Mike, preventing other folk from getting their much needed cow juice!’

Then Mike turns to camera and says there are 8 ‘free for 20 mins’ bays in Cirencester and 2 more in Moreton and yes 2 in Tetbury - how geographically correct is that?

How generous - twelve bays ‘free for 20 mins’ out of several thousand ‘pay 30% more’.

Ugh enough of this I hear you say!

Here are some facts:

Firstly, up the road from Cotswold District Council in Mount Street is an independent store open all hours called Mounties who are desperate for trade! As a local boy you should know that Joe!

Secondly, to save your carbon foot print you can walk there in only five minutes.

Thirdly Mike, if you must contribute to M&S’s profits , there’s plenty of ‘on street free parking’ right outside in Dyer Street.

But most importantly, whilst Cabinet members are promoting themselves, more shops are closing in Cirencester blaming Covid, rates and hiked car parking charges.

On Saturday, Goldsmiths in Market Place closed and joined a list including Phase Eight (Sept closure), Winnens in Waterloo, Rococo in Blackjack Street, Jackson Stops, Winchmoor and Whiddetts.

Cotswold District Council - stop trying to ‘milk the cash cow’ which is car parking and offer real help, not another vanity project!

David Fowles

Cirencester