TWENTY years ago the Advertiser kindly responded to my request to ask for public support for removing smoking from the Dolphin Centre.

Apparently this led to a record postbag, with the overwhelming majority supporting this, and as a result Poole became a leader in removing smoking from its shopping centre before the national ban came in.

I would like you to start another campaign to make visiting shops and other businesses in Poole more pleasant please.

Could you please start a campaign for Poole parking meters to allow one hour free parking, to be protected by a ticket, as in other thriving shopping centres.

The campaign could be called "Pop to the shops in Poole".

It would undoubtedly free up a lot of parking by encouraging shoppers to get organised before setting off.

t would be good for shops that do click and collect as this usually saves on delivery costs and on having to wait in for a delivery, which isn't available to most people who work outside the home.

Could you encourage readers to write to the paper and to their councillors to bring this in.

The council's Economic Development team's report on how to improve business in Poole is designed to cover up to 2019. If everyone writes to their councillors now, the team might include one hour's free parking in Poole in the next report to come out presumably in 2020.

'Pop to the shops' would help with the local plan by improving infrastructure, ie transport, and have economic and social benefits by getting people into real shops to spend money and to be sociable.

SUSAN STOCKWELL

Britannia Road, Poole

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