I AM responding to the letter last week saying that members of the City Council cabinet and town hall workers get free parking and a designated space. This is untrue.

Councillors and staff pay for the privilege of a permit and only a handful of people are provided with a designated space for which a premium is paid. The council has established a clear parking hierarchy putting residents first and then local business needs in front of commuters.

The council, like other large local employers, is developing plans that will encourage greater use of alternative forms of transport for commuting and in the long term should assist in reducing congestion."

Mark Cullinan, chief executive, Lancaster City Council.