We need a change of attitude towards cars.

Who would have thought 20 years ago that people would no longer smoke in pubs; restaurants; on public transport or in the workplace? Amazing but change came because of the importance of good health.

Now as we continue to ‘cater’ for cars we hear about air pollution, not just diesel particulates but from all traffic exhausts, especially when engines are idling as in a queue.

This need to prevent and lessen air pollution from traffic is the reason schools are building ‘green walls’ of foliage and people are turning towards electric vehicles.

Damage to children’s health, when lungs are not yet mature, is selfish in the least and criminal in the worst.

We need to keep cars out of Cirencester as much as possible.

Change can come – think of smoking – I’m sure at the time many publicans and politicians felt unpopular but the change – guided by the need for good health – has been embraced.

Do we really need a multi-storey car park? No not if we had an adequate, reliable, extensive and regular ‘metro’ type bus service costing less than car park fees.

It may run at a loss but surely cheaper than building a multi-storey car park.

When the new estate ‘The Steadings’ off Tetbury road (Bathurst) is built we need roads wide enough for buses –and as it is only two miles from the town centre – a fabulous safe cycle and walking path, using the current underpass would be a good healthy option –get people moving!

Many of the new residents at The Steadings will commute to work in Bristol, Swindon, Cheltenham & Gloucester or to Kemble to get train to London & Reading.

A frequent metro bus service/ cycle and walking paths will be essential to the partners left at home if we want to keep cars out of town.

Retailers in Cirencester say their customers can’t find anywhere to park.

There seems to be plenty of footfall in Cirencester – our markets are very popular and crowded.

Retailing is a tricky business, even without the internet taking custom away and hefty business rates to pay.

Think of the downsides of a multi-storey car park in the Waterloo.

As well as terrible disruption and stress for the residents during the building of it – the stress continues.

The Abbey grounds is a playground for teenagers (who have no youth clubs to speak of) and they are loud.

Once the weather turns cold or wet there is a very convenient path from the Abbey grounds to the Waterloo car park and there they will take shelter.

If loud in the Abbey grounds they will sound louder in a concrete building! Imagine living next to that!

I don’t deny any homeless person shelter from bad weather and cold but if a multi-storey car park becomes a ‘shelter’ is this the environment we want?

Will there also be drug dealers and addicts because let’s be aware that Cirencester does have a drug ‘scene’.

I would walk from the Fleece to my car at the present Waterloo car park at night because it is open and I feel safe to do so but that would not be the case in a multi-storey car park.

Who will patrol the car park and keep it a safe place?

The last ‘injury to insult’ is when the building comes to the end of its life and 30 years from now is demolished (hopefully to become allotments) and toxic concrete dust is spread all over the town.

Diane Berry

Cirencester