Why hasn t the community centre steering committee put a mandate to the residents of Honiton – to see if we want a community centre, costing a massive �2million?

Why hasn't the community centre steering committee put a mandate to the residents of Honiton - to see if we want a community centre, costing a massive �2million?

Is it right that a council committee of 20 members sees itself fit to vote for 13,000 residents?

Is this democracy? No. Just a committee with no forward planning, rushing blindly into this project not knowing of the consequences it will cause.

To lose 43 parking spaces in the long-stay car park and the revenue it brings in to East Devon Council, which subsidises bus passes, is unthinkable.

Mr Diccon Pearse, the council's corporate director for economy, has stated in the past that the authority has to raise a percentage of its revenue from car parking That was in 2005.

The cost then to build the centre was �1.5 million.

The was site designated in 1994 when the population of Honiton was 7,000 and it may have been adequate, but with a growing population this site is no longer feasible.

More cars are on the road and they need somewhere to park. This car park is used 24/7 the whole year.

There is a car park in Dowell Street, which people say is not used. Why? Because it is too far from the town centre.

At a town council meeting in October 2008, Honiton Chamber of Commerce and Industry asked for free parking in the run-up to Christmas and, at the time, town and district councillor Peter Halse defended EDDC not to offer free parking, confirming the reasons given by Diccon Pearse - that the income from car paring was �2.5 million and this was used to keep the council tax down, and that half of this money went to pay for the district council bus pass scheme.

The residents of Honiton need to ask EDDC to withdraw planning on this site as it is too small. The project is too expensive.

It will also lose the revenue from car parking which is so important to the people of East Devon, not just Honiton - another facility lost like our public toilets.

I have yet to find anyone who wants this centre.

The residents thought it was finished with, but when you tell them of the cost will be �2million and only half of it has been found so far one word crops up - ridiculous.

Ray Griffin

Dowell Street

Honiton