Apparently the claim is that, by making cars stay for less time, it would make room for more cars to visit the town centre.

In fact, one of the scheme's original main objectives was "to discourage car-use in town centres". Is it possible to reconcile that with a claim to "boost Whitley Bay's economy"?

Fortunately, we don't have to speculate about what would really happen -we have figures. In North Shields, parking charges brought a decline in town centre retail trade, with a 20 per cent drop in foot-fall. Is this a system that "already works effectively elsewhere in the borough"?

The council claimed this scheme was "experimental" - well, the results show it failed.

North Tyneside Council has promoted out-of-town shopping, in competition to town centres, at the same time as policies hostile to town centre businesses, such as parking controls. It has claimed these two aspects of policy are not related.

North Tyneside Council has backed a planning strategy based on large, new out-of-town developments on formerly green-belt land, which require building large amounts of new roads. North Tyneside has based its economic strategy on the assumption that economic growth depends upon increased car-mobility.

North Tyneside has decisively rejected options such as Transport Development Areas that would have put public transport at the forefront of new development. All this despite and contrary to national government policy to minimise green-belt development and implement road
traffic reduction.

However, the public has voted for a new direction. Traffic and planning
policies were a key issue in the election and the results showed a decisive rejection of current policies. It is clear the voters want to keep and regenerate their town centres and high streets.

Now of course, it may be unfair to blame all of this on Mr Wilson, but it is unfortunate that he still seeks to promote policies which have been rejected so clearly by voters.

Today, we have to ask how the council will deliver a paradigm shift - a 180 degree turn - from a strategy based upon out-of-town development, to one of regeneration of town centres and their small, high-street businesses. Does the council show signs that it understand what is required of it? Or will they try to fight change and carry on in the same old direction? Do we have the right people to understand the problems of high-street businesses and their regeneration?

NATHAN ALLONBY
Cullercoats.