SIR – Kathryn Bradley’s piece on proposed parking meters in Bingley, Shipley, Keighley and Ilkley (T&A, December 13), confirms completely the Council’s lack of any semblance of understanding of business, marketing, selling etc.

How will the charges “stimulate trade and footfall”? What evidence do they have to prove their point?

In Shipley and Bingley there are far fewer empty shops, plenty of independents and thriving centres!

If the Council cared to read yesterday’s papers they would find that they are full of Mary Portas’s report on failing town centres. One of her biggest complaints is the lack of car parking spaces and the fact that shoppers have to pay to shop!

By any stretch of the imagination, this is obvious to anyone except the Council.

I ask them to leave the status quo in these northern towns of Bradford Metro, let them keep busy and the shops filled. The last thing we need are more dire, dead centres like our once-outstanding city.

Guy Kitchen, Beech Grove, Eldwick, Bingley