Sir – I am called "unneighbourly" by Ian Lewty of Kew (letters, September 26) because I oppose the undemocratic CPZ extension in St Margarets.

According to him, I should want commuters to move to streets further from the station to find free parking, otherwise those living near it will “just have to continue to suffer” unless they have a CPZ.

I live near a flight path. This means more noise. Living near a station and shops means more traffic. It would be selfish of me to campaign for the flight path to be moved so that those living further away would suffer noise rather than me.

But where parking is concerned, there can be constructive solutions, which Councillor David Trigg, cabinet member for transport, ignores. His letter of the same date asks me where the car park I have proposed could be placed in St Margarets.

This is what we pay him to resolve.

There are additional possibilities.

Amyand Park Road is next to the station and has parking controls, but there are single yellow lines which prevent parking where it would be no hazard.

Mr Lewty favours “light controls”, as in Kew, where CPZ hours are 10am to noon. How naive of him to suppose we’re the same. Here it’s 10am to 4.30pm. Coun Trigg says: “Efficient use of car parking provision is clearly beneficial to all.”

He should visit our small businesses which are suffering from inadequate parking provision and dread the CPZ extension.

He accuses me of being “misleading” because I reject his idea that democracy doesn’t mean a majority in the consultation zone, but in each street.

This has meant that the new CPZ is being implemented on only a few votes versus the substantial zonal majority against.

FELICITY SMART
St Margarets Parking Association
A member of Richmond United Group