I HAVE just read the news about the Custom House on Poole Quay closing suddenly.

Further down the article there are comments from Poole BID Director Helen Challis and further comments from Kate Ryan, Borough of Poole strategic director.

Both of their comments centre on the council’s commitment to the regeneration of Poole town centre including the quay.

With this in mind we can no doubt rest assured that a lot of taxpayers’ money will be spent on various grand sounding projects, none of which will address the root cause of the problem.

The one factor that they seem not to want to recognise is that in many instances the main reason people no longer use the town centre, high street or the quay is due to lack of parking. Over the years the council has slowly eroded the number of spaces available in these areas.

Take the quay for example. Years ago it was possible to park the full length of Poole Quay with all cars parking side-by-side facing the water. All these spaces have now gone due to modernisation of the quay and so-called flood prevention.

It used to be possible to park in many side roads during the evenings, now that has all been stopped.

Years ago we had less cars about and more parking spaces now we have more cars and a reduced number of parking spaces. Makes no sense, does it?

It is about time that councillors and council officers recognise that no matter how much they spend on cycleways and pedestrianisation, like it or not for the time being the car is here to stay.

We only have to look at the amount of traffic on the road and how it is increasing in this conurbation to see that. If only they would recognise this, then the answer is there for all to see.

The mind set should be how can we fit a parking space in, rather than as it seems to have been over recent years, how many can we remove.

Suggestions: open Poole high street to traffic and allow parking on one side of the road, take up many of the yellow lines around the side roads in and around the town, find a way of increasing the parking on Poole Quay and then watch people come flooding back to these areas, using the shops, bars, cafes and restaurants again.

Oh and not to forget the provision of nice clean modern toilets, the like of which Wareham has on their quay. Simple.

C D MOYES

Harkwood Drive, Hamworthy, Poole

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