Sir,
Jacey Jackson (Chronicle, March 16) encapsulates very well the real arguments against the fiasco of the Parchment Street traffic flow reversal. While she sadly stopped short of acknowledging her element of corporate responsibility for that decision as a Lib Dem Councillor, I recall that she also commendably spoke out against it recently in full Council - a welcome departure from the block voting associated with her party.
Parchment Street is yet another example of the muddled political thinking of the Lib Dem administration that has bedevilled good local government in Winchester for nearly 12 years.
A further recent example is the decision to abandon travel tokens for pensioners and the disabled, something which the majority of District Councils in Hampshire have retained while meeting, as we must, the Government directive on free bus passes. The inherent discrimination against those with no or just a very rudimentary bus service (including many of my constituents) and the disabled, for whom rail is so much more convenient, has caused a great deal of justified resentment. The Cabinet could (and should) so easily have got this right but (through muddled thinking) failed our electors once again.
The electoral penny is dropping ever faster and has nearly hit the ground - it may land on May 4th!!
Yours sincerely,
Cllr Barry Lipscomb
Wonston & Micheldever Ward
Winchester City Council
20th March 2006