IN August 2002, when Malvern Hills District Council was under Conservative control, the overview and scrutiny committee expressed its commitment to the decriminalisation of car parking and regarded it as a priority.

The executive committee gave its support and allocated funds in the 2003/4 budget for a feasibility study to be carried out.

In 2003 the Liberal Democrats took control of the council and removed that allocation of funds. Consequently decriminalisation of car parking in the district has not taken place.

Herefordshire decriminalised car parking in 2002. In the financial year 2003/4 the council made a profit of £23,608 which it put into community transport. This helped to fund a number of local transport schemes. Worcester City and Wychavon have also decriminalised.

By its failure to decriminalise car parking, MHDC has lost a large sum of money which it could have used in a similar manner to Herefordshire to the obvious benefit to the community.

ALEC WALL, Oak Bridge Court, Tenbury Wells.