Sir – On arriving at Cutteslowe Park yesterday I was astonished to discover that the city council has introduced parking charges.

Oxford benefits from a number of excellent parks and publicly available recreational facilities of which Cutteslowe Park is one, nevertheless it seems to me that the introduction of parking charges will simply discourage their use.

I would have thought that in an age where central Government is seeking to curb childhood obesity and encourage outdoor play, the council ought to be encouraging the use of our parks, not charging for the privilege of enjoying an hour’s fresh air and exercise. I could understand the council’s decision if Cutteslowe Park was adjacent to the railway station or other principal commuter hub and consistently full of drivers seeking to avoid paying for parking elsewhere, however in my experience, except on high days and holidays, neither of the park’s car parks is anywhere near capacity.

Indeed, unless more money is to be spent unnecessarily introducing a controlled parking zone, I would have thought that residents local to the park are less than thrilled at the prospect of those avoiding the charges parking on-street.

I can only assume then that not content with charging for the collection of garden waste, the city council is going to extraordinary lengths to generate new revenue streams to prop up its ailing finances.

In short, the introduction of parking charges at facilities that are enjoyed by and paid for by the community as a whole is short-sighted — am I to expect to have to pay to park at the improved Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre when it replaces the facility at Temple Cowley, which is at the heart of a local community, should be retained, and for the time being at least, is free to park at?

Tim Foxall, Oxford