Put city before party loyalty

I believe the proposed car park is a mistake for the following reasons:

1) Pollution: it contradicts the council’s own Air Quality Strategy. “We will be as sensitive as possible about our own environmental impact …With regard to air quality, the main source of air pollution is road traffic. The impact of air pollution on public health is the major reason for seeking to improve air quality. This can only be achieved by a sea change in attitude and behaviour by all of us.” Why encourage drivers into the city to park in an area that has narrow roads and a level crossing and is jammed with traffic much of the time? Is this not exactly the way to create more road traffic pollution?

2) Transport: it contradicts the council’s Transport Strategy: “Encourage the use of alternative modes of transport as an alternative to the private car...increase Park and Ride capacity in Canterbury, Gradual reduction in city centre parking capacity”. Repeat: Gradual reduction in city centre parking capacity! This is most definitely not encouraging alternative modes of transport to St Dunstans.

3) Cost: it will cost £9 million and will not break even in 15 years. The council has a £4 million shortfall: why are we taxpayers footing the bill for the car park? Council vanity project with our money?

4) Appearance: the three-storey development is unsympathetic both to the buildings opposite and the listed station building itself. It will overwhelm them and turn Station Road into one of those unbalanced streets with period buildings on one side and a large modern building on the other - a place not to linger.

I believe that a few Conservative councillors have made it their mission to push this through as a trial of strength. I appeal to them not to saddle the city with an expensive and ugly white elephant that encourages cars into St Dunstans. I appeal to their Conservative colleagues to put the needs of Canterbury above party loyalty.