IT IS unfortunate that Ms Carswell took such a patronising and condescend-ing approach in writing about the proposed controlled parking zone for large parts of East Oxford (Oxford Mail, December 8).

I shall overlook the unfortunate tone of her letter and respond to some factual inaccuracies.

East Oxford does not suffer from a commuter problem. This can be confirmed by looking at the county council’s feasibility study 2008.

The parking problems generated in East Oxford arise from evening resident demand. The proposed scheme targets daytime commuter parking and associated congestion.

Your more astute readers will not need me to point out the obvious differential between problem and proposed solution.

Furthermore, the area as a whole has never supported a controlled parking zone.

In every consultation that the county council has conducted, the majority of residents have clearly been against the scheme.

The officer’s report from the latest consultation clearly shows the majority of residents objections to the proposals – and yet the county council persists in its desire to push them through.

Indeed, based on these facts, it would appear that it is the supporters of the scheme who are the “late-comers” to the consultation process.

The proposed scheme covers a large geographical area, and it cannot be right for Ms Carswell to suggest that those adversely affected by it should withhold their objections, particularly when the proposals will harm local businesses, limit family and friends from visiting loved ones, and force more cars on to the pavement.

If, as Ms Carswell claims, the residents of St Mary’s Road are so vociferous in their support of a parking scheme (it should be noted that less than 15 per cent of the street supported the scheme in the last consultation), then they should campaign for St Mary’s Road to be incorporated into the existing and neighbouring East Oxford CPZ, rather than inconvenience the populace at large.

Finally, the cost of the scheme is an incredible £321,000! In the current economic climate, can the taxpayers of Oxford really afford to fund such a flawed and unpopular parking scheme?

Dr Amar Latif, East Oxford