THIS latest move by our "elected" council could be the thin end of the wedge. I can see this escalating so that every resident in Southampton will have to pay to park outside their own home.

I know that when these councillors were were canvassing for votes, if they had declared that part of their manifesto was to put a parking levy for inner city dwellers then they might still be looking to get elected.

Look at the track record over the past few years. Major shopping outlets pulling out of the precinct due to exorbitant business rates. Parking facilities next to the Quays swimming pool complex shut off to the public, but the Boat Show can use it! The children's play area in Mayflower Park is being moved because it is inconvenient to the Boat Show. Roadwork's on one of the main traffic arteries (Millbook Road) had to be done and finished before the Boat Show and I bet your bottom Dollar that there are plans afoot to resurface the inbound carriageway before this years Boat Show instead of doing it all at the same time last year.

This council appears to hate the motorcar and sees it as a source of rich pickings to line the City coffers so they can spend it on nonsense. How much must the new street name signs cost when the old ones were quite adequate.

If the council is determined to penalise the car owners of Southampton, then let us at least have decent roads to travel on and not the patch repair that seems to be in vogue just lately. If the council wants the populace to use public transport then provide us with a cheap reliable system.

Just one last point, I thought that in a democratic world that the elected councillors were supposed to represent the majority views of their ward. It seems very much like the tail is wagging the dog. Very disgruntled, Michael J E Eaton.