WEYMOUTH and Portland Borough Council should hang their heads in disgrace over these outrageous parking increases in our town.

I am fortunate to meet many people over many years, both visitors and residents, while both performing and attending community events.

The visitors are always saying what a beautiful place Dorset is and that Weymouth is lovely, with its panoramic bay and unspoiled harbour, but very quickly adding that they will never return to Weymouth as the parking charges are a total rip-off.

It’s small wonder that residents in and around Weymouth area deliberately avoid the place for that very reason.

A few weeks back my wife and I decided to travel to Bridport.

We paid 80p for two hours’ parking.

Nobody minds that, what was very apparent was the town was packed with people and the shops were buzzing.

On a recent visit to Dorchester: Parking charge 50p up to an hour and a £1 up to two hours, again an acceptable charge, and the town centre packed with people.

Some areas in Weymouth now I note it will cost 70p for just 20 minutes,and an hour will cost £2 where ever you park.

So three hours’ shopping in Weymouth will add £6 to your bill.

Is it any wonder that shops are empty and all businesses struggle to survive with these grossly offensive and obscene charges to park.

I wonder if any councillor will be brave enough to try and substantiate these charges in comparison to adjacent towns.

Maybe it is to pay for the new (probably very expensive) machines which demand we insert the cars registration number causing a queue to form and in bad weather everyone getting wet through.

That’s before they get to the shops,another reason to avoid the town.

And another point, this year has seen closure of the only town centre toilets which only a few months ago were updated with new hand driers air conditioning and greatly improved.

Councillor Kate Wheller fought hard to keep those toilets open until a replacement was available, she was told not to worry that a replacement facility would be ready for the visitors,.

This again shows utter disregard for the residents who pay their council tax, and are getting less and less for it.

We almost lost our beloved Pavilion Theatre due to this council, I am so pleased that Phil Say and his team have shown them how to do it.

To all councillors wake up and smell the coffee.

Just for a change think about our wonderful town and what you are doing to it ,you are slowly but surely destroying it, stop the downward slope now before it is to late.

BORN AND BRED WEYMOUTHIAN

Name and address supplied

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