Madam, I write to thank your readers for their magnificent support for the petition to get Herefordshire Council to re-think its position on the raising of car parking charges. Cllr Blackshaw, the Cabinet member for parking, attended a meeting at the Town Council last week and listened to Councillors' concerns. In particular he was asked to take into account the impact of Sunday charging on the economy of the town; to consider introducing one free afternoon a week in at least one town centre car park; and to promise that extra income would be used to improve the amenity of the car parks, including installing effective signage for drivers and pedestrians.

Already, people power in Ross has forced the Council to start consulting and to rescind the proposed more than tripling of charges for coaches and to make coach parking entirely free! As I write this letter there is an intriguing rumour that Herefordshire Council has withdrawn its proposed increases in one other market town and now proposes only a token increase in one car park there. Let's make sure that Ross gets the same consideration. If you have not yet already done so, please sign the petition at http://www.eddecross.co.uk">www.eddecross.co.uk or in Caffé Eleganza, County Collection, Crows Feet, Priory Coffee House and Truffles Deli.

Cllr Chris Bartrum