The new parking arrangements in Ferry Road and William Street at Marston, Oxford, where cars are parked partly on the pavement (Oxford Mail, March 7), were agreed after long discussions and meetings with residents.

In fact, they simply formalise parking habits which have worked well for many years.

This part of Marston is a close-knit community and people living here have always parked in such a way that allows parents with pushchairs and a young wheelchair user to negotiate the pavements safely.

As a former resident of Ferry Road and as a councillor for the area, I've heard lots of complaints about poor parking elsewhere, but never here. The part-pavement parking makes the most of very limited space.

With normal street parking bays, some people would have to park some distance away. Some are key on-call female staff at the hospitals.

It is vital for both their effectiveness and their personal safety that their cars are close by.

Double parking in such narrow streets would make access for emergency vehicles virtually impossible.

As a route to the well-used cycle track across the University Parks, double parking would also make it more dangerous for cyclists meeting cars in these roads.

Andrew Wood, from Friends of the Earth, and Harriet Waters, your On Yer Bike columnist, should accept that, while not perfect, this scheme is the best solution for all road and pavement users in the area, before condemning it as the work of some council petrol-head.

MARY CLARKSON (Councillor), Labour Marston Ward, Oxford City Council