I note that the car park at the southern end of Oxford's Port Meadow is being closed for a few days at the end of the month for essential maintenance. For all the use it is to people visiting the meadow, it might as well stay shut for good.

I pass through the car park most days on bike rides around the city. I can state without fear of contradiction that its use is almost entirely confined to rail commuters and others who need long-term parking in an area where the streets are 'residents only'. It is absurd that this haven of free parking - now equipped with a footpath linking directly to the station - should continue to exist.

Make 'em pay, I say - and free up spaces during the day for those who want to enjoy an hour or two strolling through the city's most glorious open country.