John Healey, the Local Government Minister and MP for Wentworth, told the Local Government Association that not all councils are using charging to the 'full potential' to both cover costs and to 'shape their area'.

At least we can be thankful that Mr Healey has revealed the real extent of Government intentions towards private motorists: drive them off the road.

When he speaks of shaping areas, he is talking about limiting the choices of people: make it more expensive to park in a town centre and the motorist will use local shops. Sadly, this omits the fact that most of these 'local shops' only exist inside Mr Healey's rose-tinted head. A retail revolution has seen to that.

The public will see through this pronouncement for what it is - another clumsy attempt at creating a stealth tax and wrench ever larger sums of money from already hard-pressed members of the public.

What price to save our Post Offices?

THE campaign against proposed Post Office closures in our region is gathering pace and has led to the suggestion that services could be transferred to libraries and community centres if the axe finally falls.

It is one of four options being paraded before councillors in Sheffield as they battle to save the service.

But most of the options come with a price brought about by the simple commercial fact of life that the public does not use Post Offices enough.

If any of the choices are to work, then they need to be accompanied by a change of habits and a return to non-computerised provision of services. This is unlikely to happen on the necessary scale, posing the question whether the council can make a business case which either subsidises the service or incorporates it without excessive costs.

No doubt some will be sorely hit by closure but they have those who deserted Post Offices to blame.

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