According to John Healey (MP, South Yorkshire) car owners should pay even more to park in our largely deserted town centres to "force them to walk more and reduce traffic congestion". Yet clearly Mr Healey is not fit to do his job if he does not understand basic human economic behaviour. The only thing that expensive town centres will do is drive people to locations with similar services but lower costs.

Westwood Cross, for example, is a far more attractive option for motorists. All that an increase in charges will do is reduce the amount of customers that town centres are likely to enjoy. You can forget regeneration and by the same token you can forget filling the turner centre if it is ever finished.

Mr Healey's error is that he has assumed that town centres are were people want to go no matter what. This is at best extremely nieve and a demonstration that he does not have the requisite skills to speak on this matter. Perhaps he should get a different job especially if he thinks that high charges would "encouraging the use of local shops".

The Telegraph quotes the voice of reason in John Wright (national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses) who is quoted as saying: The practice of local authorities using excessive parking charges to raise revenue is killing town centres. (More opinion from the Telegraph)

Unless you can offer people an attractive reason to not use their cars then people will continue to use them. If for example tax reductions were made for cars that did only a low mileage in a given year or other serious discounts were offered to those that use the bus or walk then people will have a reason to give up their car's for a day. Honestly though the only thing a local council can do is shape where the cars go and even then that is asking a lot when privately owned resources are consistently better able to compete with council ran ones.

Thanet reactions to the current parking charges have largely been negative. £1.30 per hour for the privilege of Parking in Margate does not make sense says Mrs Tara Plumbing and Big News Margate reports taht Margate's parking is up to nine times more expensive than central London.

Much discontent has been expressed about the fact that only councillors and blue badge holders can afford to park in Margate. So there was much celebration when some free parking was offered as a trail in Margate Town Centre Big News Margate reports on that issue. However, a broader effort to decrease costs needs to be made or Margate and Ramsgate town centre's will have no viable shops left.

Perhaps we can call on our local councilors to oppose the Government's ill advised direction and serve the local people rather than the politics of people trying to look important when they have no idea what they are doing. I know I have never been exactly fond of our council or the way it operates but as the only elected body supposedly here to further the areas best interests I have to trust them even if I don't...

I guess that all we can do is hope.