Sir, – Hambleton District Council is going to build a gateway car park as near to the church as possible when the new Bedale bypass is constructed, the rationale being that people travelling to the Dales will be able to park and walk in to town to visit and shop.

The new car park will hold up to 200 cars and ten coaches, although it is questionable how many of the them will walk the third of a mile into town and how many will buy much to carry back to their cars.

This, of course, is all well and good and may or may not benefit the town centre traders.

However, what will not benefit the town is the way the council is considering funding the build of the new car park.

The proposal under discussion at the moment is that to pay for it they will sell one or part of the existing car parks in the town centre.

At a time when town centres all over the country are in decline owing to competition from out-of-town shopping centres with unlimited car parking while they have none, what sort of madness can it be when Bedale, which has a town centre car park, should have it, or part of it, taken away.

We have a thriving and bustling town centre to be proud of.

Do we really want it to go the way of other town centres with empty shops and a look of dereliction?

What is your town councillors’ view on this? Now is the time to find out before it is too late.

To find out who represents you on council contact by email townclerk@bedaletowncouncil.

lccnet.co.uk or by phone 07568-190279.

Surely now is the time for our local town councillors to do what we elected them to do and defend our town’s interests against the monolithic Hambleton District Council.

Why not contact yours and find out what their views are on this matter?

BILL TETLOW Exelby, Bedale