Despite council leader Mike Bell's assertion that "we have tried to listen to feedback", they clearly hadn't tried hard enough.

The all-powerful Executive Committee of the NSC have no ear for business or private concerns on enforced parking charges.

Take the intimated substantial parking charge for Portishead lake grounds as an example.

These charges will likely impact the viability of the open-air pool, especially its café.

Other businesses will be impacted.

NSC, an organisation that promotes healthy living, will be deterring residents and any visitors from enjoying the promenade, lake ground and open-air pool with all the health benefits of those activities.

Further, I cannot see how NSC's assertion that it can no longer afford to offer free parking applies to the lake grounds when there is no evidence of current expenditure for what is essentially roadside parking.

Could I suggest, rather than inflict additional financial strain on residents, NSC should perhaps look at some judicial pruning of its own expenditure?

I suggest a considerable sum could be saved by scrapping its propaganda publication, North Somerset Living.

My copy always goes straight to recycling.

Jonathan Poole

Portishead