Those charges

11:11am Friday 16th May 2008

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Sir, - Objections to car parking in Thirsk have been occupying these pages for weeks. In precis they are as follows:- 1. Of no social utility save money raising.

2. Worsening parking by driving people out of chargeable areas.

3. Defacing the environment with metal boxes.

4. Condemning working people to fiddle about with small change every morning.

5. Economic risk to central shopping and services unwarranted by the palty sum involved.

6. Little evidence of any alternative scheme of money raising being explored.

There is now a much increased prospect of a change of Government in 2010, and a party in power more in sympathy with the shires. It is a deep irony that Coun Arther Barker, leader of Hambleton District Council, is a member of that same party, which has brought about this situation in Hambleton through financial mis-management.

He is also a promoter through Yorwaste of a refuse incinerator at Dalton, which would waft toxic particles over Thirsk and Northallerton. Perhaps car parking is a smokescreen for this, and not vice versa.

He is an electoral liability.

Why do his own party not press for his replacement? Why do they not seek a pledge from Tory Central Office to re-visit the paradox of rate capping, introduced to control the socialist republics, that is now the cause of panic in a low spending rural area?

The local Conservative councillors have some hard questions to ask and to answer. They may find their brethren arriving at Westminster while they run for the hills.

CHARLES SHIRTCLIFFE Shirtcliffe & Reston Thirsk.