I read your article, North Laine shops are shutting up (The Argus, March 3), with great interest and relief that at last this is being publicised.

I own a shop in North Laine and have been there nearly ten years.

While your story was not news to me, my fellow traders and my staff, I am sure many readers will be saddened to hear of the possible mass closure of independent shops which make up something that is truly unique to our city.

For many years, North Laine and The Lanes have been the reason why shoppers come to Brighton.

The independent shops, boutiques, cafes, bars and restaurants offer something different to the sterile, High Street stores, fast-food joints and malls which can be seen in every town or city throughout Britain.

Shoppers come to North Laine and The Lanes for the whole "shopping experience". They come for a more personable service in a relaxed and vibrant enviroment and to feel the buzz of the area.

This has drawn visitors from far and wide for many years. When Britney Spears came to Brighton, she was photographed in North Laine and not in Churchill Square.

It is the jewel and the heart of the city and will be missed if it is to fall back to how it was years ago.

The reasons for the store closures can be blamed squarely on Brighton and Hove City Council slowly strangling the life out of our city by making coming into Brighton by car and parking an absolute nightmare.

Time and time again we hear customers complaining about how long it takes to get into Brighton only then to be unable to find anywhere to park.

Unless you know the area, finding free or cheap short-stay parking is impossible. With the council's parking wardens handing out more tickets than most large cities in Britain, coming to Brighton is becoming more and more unattractive.

Over the past few years, our weekend trade has fallen dramatically because of this.

With decreased turnover and increased rent and rates, it is getting harder to make a living so it's no surprise store owners are packing up.

There is this misconception that because Brighton is on the TV nearly every week and constantly referred to as "London by the sea", our city is awash with money-spending trendies. Well I'm sorry but it's not. Our businesses rely mainly on people from out of town to keep us going.

With the exception of a few major employers in this city, Brighton's industries are the service industry and tourism. Therefore, for businesses to survive, we need to be able to get people into Brighton easily.

We then need to look after their wants and needs and send them on their way happy and stress-free. This is just not happening.

On the subject of spiralling rents, well this is caused by new businesses coming into the area and paying rents which are over the odds but look attractive compared to London. They eventually realise the business is not sustainable and quit, leaving other traders facing rent increases because a landlord will say, "Well, if he can get that much then I want that".

I am lucky my landlord has been good to me over the past ten years before me he had someone new in nearly every year. But I do have a rent increase in May and I'm afraid I am dreading it.

As for the rates? One day I would love someone to explain what I actually get for my money. I do hope you can make the public and the council realise it's not all rosy and that one day all this could be lost forever.

-Ed Birch, Brighton