SIR - I am not sure if you or any of your colleagues will have received a letter from the environmental services of Stevenage Borough Council over their car parking season ticket increases. If not, they have announced that railway station season tickets a

SIR - I am not sure if you or any of your colleagues will have received a letter from the environmental services of Stevenage Borough Council over their car parking season ticket increases.

If not, they have announced that railway station season tickets are to increase from £232.50 to £273 per quarter; and town centre season tickets will increase from £146.50 to £176. I have written to the council to highlight my displeasure and asked for justification for an inflationary-bursting increase in excess of 20 per cent.

I feel this is tantamount to blackmail since public transport to and from the outlying areas, such as Walkern is not provided for, at early and late enough times for me to get to and from work. I and other members of the public are therefore left to either pay their extortionate increases, or run the risk of having their cars clamped, ticketed etc if we choose to change our mind and begin parking in residential areas.

Another issue is, are they preparing to sell off the parking facilities to NCP, and are therefore increasing the costs to be in line with what they will finally demand as apparently occurred in Cheshunt?

ANDREW McPHERSON

By email