“Re parking. Some years ago free parking on Sundays was ended in Bude. Prior to this it was possible to drive into Bude and buy drinks at half price during "Happy Hour". After a good night out one could walk home. This little ploy HALVED the cost of petrol, HALVED the cost of drinks and HALVED the amount of walking (one could walk to the car the next day and possibly drive to a car boot sale) When the parking arrangements were altered the ONLY notification of the change was a two inch square sticker on the ticket machine which you don't go to if you "know" that parking is free on Sundays. One is also disinclined to go and check the label when there is a gang of hoodies hanging around the machine trying to figure out how to steal the money. Scammed out of £40 and the same scam was perpetrated in Holsworthy. Allegedly the traffic warden hid until all the churchgoers had gone into church. He then ticketed all their cars, dozens off them. An even worse scam was done to people at Crooklets car park a few years ago. The people concerned studied the parking regulations notice intently and the sign board clearly stated "Free on Sundays". They noticed a man in a white van watching them studying the sign. After this they went on the beach. On their return they both had parking tickets. The councils retort was "You should have read the new sign, the sign that you read was the old one". These two persons were defrauded of of £40 each, FRAUD, FRAUD, FRAUD. Similar tricks go on in Plymouth - they're all it it!”

“Cornwall Council have also abolished the free parking for users of Bude Library. They have also been rather liberal in their painting of yellow lines all over Bude in places where there were no yellow lines before. A great many new dwellings have been built in the Bude area since the year 2000. This means more people and more cars yet the council allows firms to build houses on car parks! Bude has now become just like some other abominable towns in the south west. Such towns have wall-to-wall double yellow lines, nowhere to park unless your car is a taxi and chip-shops next door to chip-shops. One town not too far away has double yellow lines all around the public convenience and the road around the loo has become a taxi-rank! How anti-motorist is that?”

“These volunteers are presumably all fit local men who could walk, cycle or car-share unlike hospital patients who have to fork out every time to park. Also there may have been abuse of the 'lifeboat crew' sign in the car window just as abuse of disabled badges is allegedly widespread. The council for their part have missed a trick here and could easily come to some arrangement though it would seem from reading the article closely that penalty charges would not be enforced anyway. As to the supporters and crewmen of the RNLI, it ill behoves them to make insulting remarks about the council (many of whose employees will have raised money for the lifeboat) and suggestions that the council would seek to siphon off charitable bequests to fill its own coffers. It is time for all concerned to behave with much needed dignity and come to an agreement.”

“Typical of this council. Petty moves to "save" money while wasting millions on pet projects. £13.5million on unnecessary refurbishment of council offices for one.”