Sir - I would be grateful to take advantage of your letters column to explain to residents of Worcestershire what is going on regarding devolution of powers from the Government and the formation of a combined authority.
There is a great deal of talking, which many residents are unaware of, regarding councils combining to take on further powers from the Government, which could well be health, economic development, transportation, road infrastructure and of course the creation of a mayor.
Thus, discussions have been going on regarding parts of Worcestershire joining the conurbations in creating a West Midlands Combined Authority. This may or may not be a good thing as we would be competing with other areas for finite resources which we may lose out on.
What has happened is that residents have not being consulted as to whether they feel they would be better off being part of the great conurbation or staying where they are.
The downside of course is the break-up of Worcestershire and what that might lead to. Would it be too small to continue as a strategic authority? Would all those in the north of Worcestershire become in the near future part of Birmingham? Would the rest of Worcestershire, to survive, become a unitary authority? This would mean the end of local government for Worcester City, Wychavon and Malvern Hills?
The County Council Labour Group feels strongly that if parts of Worcestershire were to join the new combined authority it would lead to the break-up of Worcestershire and the loss of hundreds of years of tradition and entity. Labour leaders from three local authorities and the leader of the Labour Group at Worcestershire County Council feel strongly that this matter is too serious to be left to carry on without full consultation with residents or indeed a referendum.
The people being affected should decide their own future.
PETER MCDONALD
Labour County Council Group Leader

A smashing solution to city centre’s woes
Sir - An elementary lesson in economics that Worcester politicians and officialdom would do well to study and digest comes from the recent experiences of Cardigan in West Wales.
Last month local yobs, in search of beer money, smashed all four pay-and-display ticket machines in the town’s car parks. They’ve been out of action ever since and, while the county council struggles to raise the money needed for repairs, car parking is free.
What then happened is obvious, to the chagrin of officialdom. A minor economic miracle has sprung from that crime and in the weeks since they struck a transformation has come upon the town, with high street shopkeepers reporting turnover shooting through the roof, up in some cases by as much as 50 per cent.
It is because — and only because — parking in Cardigan has suddenly become free that money is flooding into the tills.
It transpires that instead of going out of town to supermarkets, people can stay in the centre for five or six hours without having to pay or worry about a ticket.
They shop, then stop at a café or a restaurant without having to rush, just like the old days before parking became a local tax raiser here in Worcester.
So, it has proved the obvious fact that making parking free is a highly effective way of breathing life into a local economy.
These are dire times for the high street, with the spread of giant supermarkets and out-of-town shopping centres providing free parking.
If Worcester City is going to try and breathe life back into our high street, then this is the proven, obvious answer; but please get rid the ticket machines legally instead of smashing them!
MR M YOUNG
Worcester

Please don’t give us an economics lesson
Sir - In your editorial on July 8 you wrote that ‘we British see it (austerity) as vital for our future’.
This is an astonishing thing to say as it ignores the huge amount of effort that many people, with complete justification, have put into protesting against austerity over several years.
 In your editorial the following day, you wrote that ‘if there are to be cuts that will have a major impact on the living standards of millions of families, they need to be brought in carefully.’
How about not brought in at all?
The Chancellor has created more new debt in just five years than every single Labour government in history combined, but anyone paying attention knows that austerity isn’t about dealing with the debt.
It’s a con designed to give the Tories an excuse to transfer even more wealth to the tiny super-rich minority under the guise of bringing the national debt under control.
In April 2015, the Sunday Times revealed that the 1,000 wealthiest people in Britain have doubled their wealth since 2010, yet the living standards of millions of people are being made worse.
Austerity is clearly not meant to benefit the majority of people in this country, therefore it is not ‘vital for our future’, so please don’t say that it is.
NEIL LAURENSON
Worcester

Bus lanes would be just perfect for bikes
Sir - With the demise of the park and ride service, why not remove those under-utilised ‘token’ bus lanes?
We now have a superb opportunity to provide an adequate and safer expanse each side of our congested main roads for those entering/exiting the city centre exclusively on two wheels.
These extremely unlikely-to-materialise measures would allow a much-needed secure passage, particularly for those utilising powered and non-powered two-wheeled transport, with motorcycle and scooter riders being highly trained, insured, licensed and regulated for highway usage yet with little at present provided in return.
With these improved bicycle lanes, possibly luring pedallers off pavements, it would consequently benefit the elderly and other vulnerable pedestrians alike, who would rejoice at reclaiming their footpaths once more, conceivably free from the threat of injury from these individuals appearing to be beyond the attention of the law, who seemingly turn a blind eye to their dangerous exploits.
Now, which way is it to the nearest wishing well?
ROBIN SMITH
Worcester