Councillor Peter Southgate makes it sound as though I waged a one-man campaign against the CPZ in Merton Park. In reality there were hundreds of people involved.

Also, let us not forget that when consulted, the majority of people in Merton Park were against the scheme. It may be the case that some people felt some measures needed to be taken to reduce commuter parking in certain areas but we (who weren't just opposing the CPZ and tried hard to be constructive) suggested several other workable options that could have been adopted though these were rejected by the council. Could that be because they would not have raised enough revenue?

Councillor Southgate admits that he wanted CPZ in some roads but not others and seems to think this was a good, democratic solution, but I think local residents are intelligent enough to see through this facile argument. It is obvious to most people that this half-baked method simply moves any parking problems from one road to another.

We have seen the creep of CPZs across the borough over the past few years against the wishes of many people as we are now seeing the creep of the congestion charge zone and may soon perhaps be seeing the introduction of the latest money-making wheeze - road pricing.

The councillor says that "engaging in consultation does not automatically guarantee the outcome you want".

He can say that again - and he probably will.

As that great democrat Ken Livingstone once observed, "If voting changed anything, they'd abolish it."

CLIVE WHICHELOW Charnwood Avenue