Sir, – The parking charges that were imposed on Northallerton earlier in the year to cut congestion/ carbon emissions and, incidentally, pay for the meter “police”, produced a lot of noise when first introduced, but it has all gone very quiet.

It all goes to justify the county council highways department's research that suggested Northallerton people were supportive of the charges, indifferent or even apathetic. After all, only two per cent of the population wrote in to protest.

Yes indeed, the town has gone very quiet. One only has to walk from Low Gates to the Laura Ashley roundabout on days other than market days to see how quiet. Some market stall traders appear to have departed. There are vast open parking spaces for much of the day, busier over the lunch hour admittedly, but a delight to those motorists who want a quick stop to buy a paper, choose a greetings card or use a cash machine. Those who like to browse through their shopping or take in a tea or coffee have had to think twice. Congestion and noxious emissions remain, thanks to the level crossings.

On the surface the business community and traders have gone quiet. After a powerful initial letter to your columns, no further words. Maybe they are quietly at work in the corridors of power – or might we assume that footfall and customer spending have remained high, despite the charging?

North Yorkshire County Council is similarly silent, having delayed to January the promised review of the charges and their impact. May we assume their researchers are devilling away to produce better supporting statistics than in their earlier submission? We might note that neither Councillor Hall, who voted for the charges, nor Councillor Blades, who chaired the decision-taking meeting, have ventured into the public domain.

So we wait quietly and patiently for the balanced judgments that will emerge in the New Year. We may be sure that the charges and the meters will not disappear; having invested £95,000 in them that would imply a significant loss of face.

We can be sure that the decisions will be quietly taken in the expectation of an apathetic public. As a Civic Society we consider that this badly-handled process of change by North Yorkshire County Council has done much to harm public opinion of Northallerton as a desirable place to come shopping and its status as county town and a tourist centre.

JOHN EDWARDS

Allertonshire Civic Society

Northallerton.