JOHN Prescott is to visit Tadcaster because of the central car park dispute.

He had hoped to "let the train take the strain" on his visit to this town of malt and hops. Unfortunately he could not do so because our railway station was demolished many years ago.

So Mr Prescott had to use his jag. These smart cars were needed for his retinue of secretaries, assistants, special assistants and, of course, his personal security staff.

So it was understandable that Tadcaster's central car park was therefore inadequate for this important and very large cavalcade.

To Mr Prescott the car park seemed to be a very small plot of land to be squabbling about for 30 years or more.

He was non-plussed. So our deputy prime minister decreed that a much bigger car park must be built on a greenfield site on the perimeter of Tadcaster. He would then designate the present central car park plot of land as a brown-fill site, which must be used for affordable housing. This is what it was used for 30 years ago, before the demolition squad moved in. Then I woke up.

Ida Mary Goodrick,

Woodlands Avenue, Tadcaster.

Updated: 09:43 Friday, July 02, 2004