I was initially encouraged by Green councillor Phelim Mac Cafferty’s statement that “visitors are continuing to flock to Brighton and Hove” and that “there is no evidence that parking charges are putting people off coming to the city” (Letters, August 27).

The traders in Madeira Drive think the opposite is true, so I was keen to look at Coun Mac Cafferty’s evidence.

He first suggests parking places are all taken up on sunny days. If you really wanted to establish the effect of parking charges then surely you would look at figures over several months.

He then argues that “despite the terrible weather” visitor numbers at the Royal Pavilion and in museums have gone up. Common sense tells you that if it’s wet visitors go indoors to places such as museums.

Will he next be arguing that “despite the sunny weather” the beaches were crowded?

He states that during a sunny weekend there were queues of traffic trying to get into Brighton and that the beaches were covered in litter. If that is the level of analysis from Brighton and Hove City Council then I despair.

Establishing the effect of parking charges on visitor numbers is not easy.

We are monitoring parking numbers and income, year on year, over a six-month period, and collecting information from Worthing and Eastbourne. Since they experience largely the same weather as Brighton, presumably any significant difference might be due to the different policies on parking charges.

Finally, we are conducting a survey of visitors’ opinions on a range of issues including parking, available online at www.yellowave.co.uk. We are doing this with an open mind.

If the results suggest parking increases are not having an adverse effect, we will accept we have been mistaken.

We just hope the council is equally willing to look at the evidence with an open mind.

Alan Randall, director, Yellowave, Brighton