CARS at New Road car park in Kendal are adding to the pollution which protesters spuriously claim is a reason not to use this land as green space for leisure.

Carefully selected plant species would help mitigate this problem, create a filtering barrier and soak up some of the carbon dioxide and pollutants. Many green spaces in London are directly next to roads far busier than those in Kendal and are a good model. It works, they are popular and well used, as are the ‘Boris bikes’.

We are all trustees of this delicate planet. Any move to combat the poisonous legacy we are leaving behind for our children and grandchildren has my unequivocal vote.

Some of the current generation are slavishly attached to the combustion engine (the bigger the better) and totally in denial of the benefits of walking for more than 100 metres.

Of course we all need to use our cars for essential journeys and we need car parks for workers, for visitors and market delivery vans, but not on this prime site. This could be such a welcoming riverside green refuge for tourists and workers alike, as long as it is regularly policed to avoid abuse by rough sleepers and drinkers.

Beezon Fields is a perfect location for long-term parking (at a modest fee). Maybe not for those who would still insist on having the shortest possible walk between car and work. To me, their concerns are irrelevant in terms of benefitting the health of our children.

They need to think about their actions and how long it will be before their own sedentary life needs the support of our over-stretched health service.

Of course we do need to assist people with disabling conditions who need to get near to town. We should cater constructively for those in genuine need.

The authorities must seek a way of funding a better and more user-friendly bus service for local commuters, one that doesn’t stop before they have finished work! However, the lack of Government resources to help with this is pitiful so it will not be easy.

Resurrect the proposals for park and ride to encourage those who travel to Kendal from a distance for work or leisure not to clog up our streets. Help to reduce pollution in narrow thoroughfares such as Lowther Street and Wildman Street.

Maybe the business people who are crowing the loudest about the New Road proposal should help out by finding and funding a solution. Do they have spare land to park on cheaply? Could they set up car sharing schemes for employees? Can they set up electric bike hire stations? Could they sponsor free town buses? Victorian manufacturers were lauded for their philanthropy - where is it these days?

But please, do not go down the route of the Lake District National Park Authority with its cash-cow policy of seeing how much parking fee can be fleeced from tourists. It is giving the Lake District a really bad reputation as it is now perceived as being an expensive place to visit.

Tourism organisations promote the Lake District well but there needs to be a shift in approach of how to get visitors into the major towns without their cars.

Tourism has replaced wool as the area's money spinner - it needs nurturing, not assaulting and making Kendal an attractive place to visit is essential to our economy. We have much to offer but need to ask: Could we be more welcoming?

Roy Wilcock

Kendal