I READ with interest the letters from Robert Readman and Wendy Bailey (Letters, February 14 & 16) concerning the redevelopment of car parks in central Bournemouth.

That these are being sold at best value for the council tax payer, helping to regenerate the local economy and create jobs is hugely beneficial for Bournemouth residents in the longer term.

But within the overall development of these sites, the council is strongly mindful of the demand for car parking by residents and visitors and is ensuring that the spaces lost are provided again within these new developments.

The former bus station site has never been owned by the council and is being developed by a private company, having been run as an NCP car park for many years.

That it was expensive when compared to nearby council car parks is certainly true, and demonstrates the much better value offered by the council at two hours for £1.10, and in turn helping to increase their use in the town centre.

As regular readers will know, the council wanted to buy the former bus station site and develop it as a bus hub to help relieve the pressure from buses in Gervis Place.

However, even with the use of compulsory purchase powers, as the new scheme gained funding from its backers, the cost simply became too high.

In truth, it would probably have required capital of £15million or more to be spent on securing an asset with limited income.

I can imagine that we should have been criticised had the council borrowed the money and gone ahead with a scheme which was unviable at that level of cost.

We shall now have to continue to work on other alternatives to make Gervis Place safer and more accessible for pedestrians.

CLLR JOHN BEESLEY, Leader of Bournemouth council