Sir, – Having recently closed both Town Hall car parks Dralington Borough Council's controlling Labour Group has now announced the 12 month closure of Beaumont Street car park with a further loss of 300 parking spaces.

Not content with displacing these 2,000+ daily short-stay town centre "parkers" our leaders have added insult to injury with the introduction of yellow kerb-markings which now prohibit loading, unloading and waiting (including disabled and taxis) on nearly every street within the town centre.

With the Town's debt standing at more than £200m it is obvious they are determined that everyone should pay to park in Darlington but the Labour Council's lack of business acumen and debt management should not be allowed to ruin the lives of the town's shopkeepers.

A town's prosperity relies on the ease of delivery for traders and and collection of goods by shoppers – not in Darlington – no wonder the traders are forecasting a ghost town as the last few shoppers are driven to the accessibility of out-of-town supermarkets.

Traders pay massive rates and in a democracy they should be consulted before major changes are made which will affect their viability. Could it be that after 20 years in power a dictatorship, rather then a democracy, now exists in Darlington's Town Hall – where the views of residents and traders are constantly ignored – that is, of course, until next year's District/General Election.

JEAN JONES

Darlington.