I WISH to comment on the current issue of the council's policy on inner-city parking.

Radical changes, particularly those restricting the use of a private car, are bound to provoke strong opposition, but I believe much more time should be allowed before assessing the impact of the new parking charges.

The comparisons people have made with Leeds, Darlington and Wetherby are quite false in that this is York and innovative changes are needed to protect a unique city with medieval buildings and streets.

There are also environmental and pollution considerations and habits will have to change in time.

I do not believe tourists will cease to visit buildings such as York Minster and the city walls and will not permanently abandon the city centre in the early evenings.

It is a sad fact that in any town there are more small businesses than can actually survive.

It is conceivable that traffic could in future have to be kept out of the area within the inner ring road which could eventually be made one-way.

Exceptions obviously could be made for taxis, buses and the genuinely disabled.

I express my views as an owner of two cars who has never voted for the Liberal Democrats.

Peter Boyle,

Danesmead,

Fulford, York.

...I AM sorry that after the meeting I attended with the Goodramgate traders on Monday, the Evening Press chose not to report the obvious misunderstanding there was on evening parking charges for city residents in general, and people working in the restaurant trade in particular.

Several traders spoke of their staff having to pay a £5 parking charge to come to work in the city.

This is simply not true.

For £84 a year any resident can buy an evening parking permit.

This works out at £1.62 a week, not £5 a night. For this very modest charge each week the restaurateurs themselves could provide their workers with a permit if their staff found the lump sum a burden to pay all at once.

It may well be that the council has more to do to make restaurateurs and other York businesses operating in the evening aware of these passes but I regret that the Evening Press didn't help to make the point in the paper.

Coun Christian Vassie,

Blake Court,

Wheldrake,

York.

...YOUR correspondent E Gledhill is complaining needlessly about the possible introduction of a residents' parking scheme (Letters, May 26).

The council is not and has not proposed any such introduction - nor has it any requests from any residents to do so. Residents' parking schemes are only introduced at the invitation of residents and we go to great lengths, including ballots, to ensure the local community really does want a scheme before moving to put one in place.

The yellow lines we are proposing for Filey Terrace came from suggestions made by local residents and a formal opportunity is now available to anyone who does not want the restrictions to make their views known.

Any comments should be sent to Bill Woolley, 9 St Leonard's Place, York, Y01 7ET and should be received by June 11.

Peter Evely,

Head of network management,

City of York Council,

St Leonard's Place, York.

Updated: 09:53 Monday, May 31, 2004