RATHER than use the Wiltshire Council's parking consultation as a political stick with which to beat Trowbridge, and yes the Labour Group really believe this will get the desired result - as if - what we councillors need now is a period of constructive reflection around the facts.

We need to consider the consultation figures in detail, noting that while a lot of what the city council working group suggested has not been incorporated, some of it has. We can certainly propose a huge cut in prices, but the financial shortfall will need to be made up from somewhere else, cutting local and rural bus services for example or maybe closing some, or all, of the park and ride sites, which incidentally will have a serious effect on parking and congestion.

Every which way there will be consequences but we will have to make that call. One thing that is certain however is if those councillors who continue to throw their toys out of their collective prams and do not allow the council to come up with a pragmatic proposition, the city will have one forced upon it, and that will likely be the worst of all options.

Sven Hocking

Salisbury City Councillor