I AM replying to your recent correspondence relating to the use of the village greens in the Lizard village.

The objectors to the scheme do not comprise a small minority but include all of the shops and food outlets that surround the greens, the residents of the homes that are adjacent to the proposed car park plus many more. Far from being "hysterical" these objections have been very sensible in their reasoning as to why this scheme is a "red herring" and should never go ahead.

The main "fear" of the parish council was that the Secretary of State would rule that parking on the greens was illegal. This is in fact not the case; she has ruled not to rid the green of cars but has said that it is perfectly legal to park there.

Over the last century the shops and food outlets have evolved around the present parking arrangements, which unlike many towns and villages are on a free or donation basis. This provides the parish council with almost £10,000 per annum for a small outlay in maintenance.

The greens provide more than 240 parking spaces. Under the new scheme this would be replaced with facilities to park 90 cars over 200 metres away from the nearest shop with pay and display. How can this arrangement possibly be of any benefit to traders and their 70+ employees or to locals and holidaymakers?

Surely it's the purpose of Objective One funding to provide benefit to a community and not its detriment.

This scheme, as so many others in Cornwall over the years, is driven by people from outside the area who always want to change things. In this case they want to change the uniqueness of The Lizard village.

To use £30,000 to buy what is in fact an open field would be a criminal waste of public funds, when there are so many things in our area that need funding such as better facilities for the youth and the ever increasing number of elderly.

Mr E F Partridge, The Lizard Gift Shop, The Square, The Lizard.