Sir, - Hambleton councillors could deal a death blow to retailers in their market towns, without even raising their hands, if the last council meeting is anything to go by.

Thirty seven councillors attended the council meeting on April 1: it lasted 20 minutes.

Without asking a single question, these 37 people approved the annual investment strategy for balances of £33.7m for 2008- 9, the ten-year capital programme with a total spend of £16.38m, including £1.22m for 2008-9 - £280,000 of which is for the introduction of car parking charges - but no income is shown for future years, a 2007-8 monitoring report of spending from the reserve fund of £535,231, a 2007-8 monitoring report on the capital programme showing expenditure of £5.058m with inconsistencies in the figures in two sections, a 2007-8 monitoring report on the revenue budget, which highlights a reduction in income from the markets in Northallerton and Thirsk - which are particularly vulnerable to the impact of parking charges The financial case for introducing parking charges has not been proved. The "independent"

consultants are part of a group that builds and maintains car parks, using a model that was produced for an urban problem with figures that are seven years old, and the projected income is unrealistic unless the charges are increased significantly.

Please don't let your councillor kill our market towns. Make sure that they represent the views of their electorate, expressed by the thousands signing the petition against parking charges. Contact your councillor and tell him/her to do their job!

ROSEMARY DALTON The Yorkshire Store, High Street, Stokesley