I READ the report in The Sentinel of March 15 regarding the protest over parking charges held in Crewe at the weekend.

As a Congleton resident, I have been agitating against the implementation of car park charges in Congleton, Alsager, Middlewich, Holmes Chapel and Sandbach since they were first announced. Crewe residents argue that the charges are higher in Crewe than they are in Congleton which, they say, goes against the stated policy of harmonisation promised by Cheshire East Council.

Virtually every action of the council in proposing to extend the charging regime has been lamentable. As a result of many legitimate arguments put to the council, they have abandoned harmonisation, and implemented car park charging in Congleton only.

One of the objections in Congleton has been that council promises of not increasing car park charges are not believed and the evidence for this is Crewe itself.

Regardless of what the council pontificates, people believe that car park charging is just another cash cow that the councils need to pay the diamond studded pensions that some council officials demand,

I believe that there will be some shocking business figures coming out of Congleton as a result of the introduction of charging and, if this sadly is the case, Cheshire East councillors will be held to account. I am equally sure that some businesses in Crewe are suffering, perhaps just as badly.

G A GOODWIN

West Heath, Congleton