I WISH to reply to your front page story on Saturday, May 1 (We're After You). The story concerns Councillor Andy Kay and his bunch of merry men who has warned that "things are going to be very different when his authority takes control of parking in October" in the Blackburn town centre!

Well, Mr Kay, let me give you the definition of extravagance: actually paying a parking fee to shop in this third rate town of ours.

A town, I might add, that I was once very proud of many years ago but which has been systematically ruined by inarticulate architecture, both in monument and building, abysmal road systems and incredibly bad parking facilities.

The larger stores that we have seem to have lower standards than can be found in other towns.

Current systems will further add to the decline of retail outlets in Blackburn, hence a decrease in choice for consumers, encouraging more consumers to be forced to shop in large retail parks which provide free parking. This is not in line with the Government Skills Strategy White Paper -- 21st Century Skills 2003, nor the Learning and Skills Council Local Strategic Plan for Lancashire 2002-2005.

I would suggest very strongly an alternative to our executive member. To encourage a stronger commercial economy in our town to create wealth and recreate a confidence plus investment in higher grades of blue chip stores then your council should think very carefully about not penalising the customers who wish to shop in this town but decrease the parking charges or in fact do away with them altogether.

CHRIS EGGLESTON (address supplied).