IN reply to Councillor David Furnell (“Walkway removal was not their idea”, Letters, November 1), it appears Cllr Furnell is able to receive my letter, write a reply accusing me of being a “Johnny come lately”, but all the while not actually bothering to read the letter himself in the first place!

If he had read the letter sent he would have known it was referring to the recent changes, approved by the Conservative-led council in September, that enable local parking standards and a minimum of one parking space per one-bed flat and more parking spaces for larger flats and houses.

In light of these changes we wrote to the Hendy Ford site developers suggesting they could amend their plans to increase parking provision, for their and local residents’ benefit.

This was to help prevent future parking issues around a development with inadequate parking, a legacy of the Labour Government and their belief a lack of parking would lead to people not having cars and using bikes and public transport.

As local parking is such an issue in Freemantle and Millbrook, and this is a site that Cllr Furnell has been massively involved in, is this now a case of sour grapes as he didn’t think of taking this positive action himself, instead waiting for residents to approach him rather than proactively seeking ways to help the community – something I am doing, which can be confirmed by many Millbrook residents that I have helped despite only being a candidate and not a councillor?

STEVEN GALTON, Conservative Candidate for Millbrook ward, Southampton.