It is hard to believe the sheer arrogance of the Brighton and Hove councillors who, having carried out two surveys on their proposed parking restrictions for Hove, both of which failed to get a majority approval from the public, have decided to ignore this fact and to make permanent orders under the relevant section of the Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984 to implement their proposals.

Brighton and Hove City Council's duty to notify the public in the area

concerned is being met by two pages of information being attached to various lamp posts in the area. This notification is dated March 2, 2001, but only appeared on March 8 or 9. It states all objections must specify the grounds on which they are made and should be submitted to the "City Solicitor' by March 26.

Maybe I am a cynic, but the undue haste and the method of publicising the information suggests to me the council is uncertain of public reaction to its intentions and is deliberately trying to reduce the chance of any dissent. Also, of the few who would, how many would feel confident enough to write expressing their views to a "City Solicitor" or have enough time to do so?

I write on behalf of many people who feel strongly about the imposition of this locally-engineered stealth tax, because that is undoubtedly what it is. The proposed regulations will have no positive effect whatsoever on the problems of parking in the area.

It should be brought to the attention of our worthy representatives that they are the servants of we, the public, not our masters.

-Ron Evans, Goldstone Road, Hove