I WRITE in support of Doreen Stevenson’s letter in your paper of Friday, October 16. Mrs Stevenson clearly outlined many of the problems facing retailers today in the high streets of many local towns.

Unfortunately, Corsham has been beset over the years with many adverse changes which have gradually eroded the character and viability of the town as a retail shopping centre.

This started with the pedestrianisation of the main retail section of the High Street, which included a highly dangerous, totally out of character, sunken cobbled drain, through the middle of the pedestrian area.

Many people, particularly the elderly, have stumbled and fallen on this uneven surface, suffering varying degrees of injury over the years.

If you look at other retail centres in local towns such as Chippenham and Trowbridge, these have suffered with the loss of a considerable number of both large and small retailers, since pedestrianisation isolated their town centres.

Pedestrianisation was followed by the introduction of parking charges.

When I was a councillor representing Corsham Town ward, I fought hard to achieve a concession allowing one hour free parking in Corsham town centre car parks.

This lasted some time, but finally the council deemed it necessary to remove this very beneficial facility to our town centre businesses.

I am not in favour of supporting totally free parking, as that encourages abuse of the system, but if those now in control of administering local government in Corsham were to seriously look at the consequences of their past decisions, that are leading to the ever increasing demise of our town centres, we just may stand a chance of reviving the historic character of our local towns.

PETER DAVIS, Beeches Green, Shaw