Dear editor,
I am writing to express my inexplicable indignation that the Conservative Mayor and Council have decided to grant four hours of free parking to all drivers using Allhallows car park.
Read: Four hours free parking trial to begin in Bedford town centre
I am a lifelong resident of Greyfriars Ward which encompasses the vast majority of the town centre. One of the most severe challenges the area faces is air pollution.
Evidence shows poor quality air can lead to a whole host of pernicious ailments be it asthma attacks, respiratory problems or heart attacks.
This policy will directly result in an even greater quantity of dirty vehicles scurrying to the town centre every weekend, turning the air even more toxic.
It appears the Mayor and Council have attached very little importance to the health and well-being of the people who will be most affected by this policy.
Whilst the goal of attracting more footfall to our town centre is admirable, there must surely be another method.
The Mayor and Council should pursue means such as reinvesting the generous funds it receives as part of the local share of business rates into town centre businesses.
Granting free parking may be popular (and no doubt a vote-winner) but it will have a catastrophic impact on local residents.
Many residents are already at an increased risk of many fatal diseases. E.G., I am of Bangladesh origin, and my community is at a greater risk of coronary heart disease which will be made worse by the introduction of free parking.
This policy will benefit those more wealthier residents who live in the villages of the Borough.
However, the policy will not attract any benefits whatsoever to the more deprived areas that form the vicinity of the town centre. On the contrary, this policy will have an exclusively negative impact.
I am baffled and quite appalled no local residents were consulted prior to the enactment of the policy, perhaps the Mayor and Council did not believe our views were relevant.
This policy seems to be more rooted in populist posturing to appease a certain section of the electorate as opposed to a genuine desire to support businesses in the town centre.
Measures such as London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and Bradford’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) may be unpopular but they will without doubt lead to cleaner air and healthier residents.
The Mayor and Council must decide between the health of local residents or voter appeasement.
I hope the Tory Mayor and Council urgently rethink and rescind this policy. If not, the consequences could be potentially devastating for local residents like myself. Please put people above politics, Mr Mayor.
Kind regards,
Jamil Ahmed
Maitland Street
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