Reader ‘extremely concerned’ about pay and display proposals for Honiton.

I am extremely concerned that Devon County Council has given so little thought to the impact that introducing parking charges are bound to have on local businesses - especially in these very difficult trading times, due to the recession.

This seems to encourage people to shop out of town, which I think is very sad.

Many long-standing firms are only just surviving - this might well be the final straw for many.

We have only just had the shock news of Stokes fruit and veg shops closing. Who could be next?

I personally prefer using local shops, as it supports local traders; very often it is local produce - which, to me, seems a much “greener” way of shopping and avoids shipping produce all over the country.

Just as an example - next time you buy milk, look to see where it comes from.

What is the sense of not using local milk? It is produced here, locally, so why buy it from miles away?

It’s all very well having hypermarkets like Tesco, Asda, etc, but it is also good to have the choice and personal service from local stores and shops.

I am disgusted that Devon County Council is effectively stabbing them in the back.

Richard Drake

By email