Letter: Traffic ticket raids will hurt the town
The planned night time raids on Ludlow's streets by teams of traffic wardens appears to be a callous way of topping up Shropshire Council's budget.
Ludlow is a real town populated by real people who live in the centre and its businesses are dependent on both those residents and the tourists who come to admire its charm.
I predict there will soon be no place for either if these raids continue.
Having carefully removed many of the on-street parking spaces on which residents who work away were dependent, or converted them into loading bays or disabled slots, residents and guests of town centre B&Bs depend upon being able to park on yellow lines and in loading bays at night. Meanwhile the Assembly Rooms from which funding has been withdrawn, but the council depends on people being able to park on Castle Square at night.
One recent Tuesday evening every one of these places was targeted and every vehicle ticketed. We know from previous evidence that £70,000 was garnered from parking tickets issued in the town over two years and not a penny of it was spent on improving Ludlow's lot. Shame on you Shropshire Council.
I cannot see how anyone parking on Castle Square in the evening can be prosecuted because there are not the requisite lines or notices. My advice is protest it. Maybe a mass protestation of parking tickets would make them stop this practise or at least cause chaos in the department which oversees it.
Andy Wright, Ludlow
