Sir, I heard a rumour a while ago: that the decades-old car park on Blackhall Road in Kendal opposite Kendal's multi-storey car park was built with foundations sufficient to accommodate a multi-storey on that site too. Apparently the planners were looking ahead to a time when it might be needed. I wonder if it's true.

Looking ahead again, a reminder to those councillors intent on Kendal's pedestrianisation going ahead half-cocked that it doesn't work when traffic is simply displaced on to residential streets, as is already happening in the Gillinggate, Greenside and Queen's Road area.

Have they tried to cross the junction from All Hallows Lane to Lowther Street at busy times? Queues from the right on Highgate make it physically impossible. You can't advance when your light goes green, so you must turn left into Stricklandgate - where you don't want to go, and the planners don't want you to go - but it's either that or block the road.

When Stricklandgate is pedestrianised that option will vanish. You'll sit at the bottom of All Hallows Lane, traffic backing up behind you, Booths HGVs stuck and chugging diesel, whistling the theme to The Great Escape.

If these same councillors have their way the park-and-ride buses will sit in that gridlock too. Kendal needs two such parks, at the north and south ends of the town to cut the jams on Windermere Road and Milnthorpe Road, not one in the middle.

And what happened to the planned two-way traffic on Aynam Road? Wasn't that an essential part of the new traffic plan?

As for the residential areas set to be blighted - many are conservation areas. You can't paint your front door a new colour without planning permission; but what ruins the character of an area more than rat runs and HGVs?

Your Victorian sash windows rattle as the lorries thunder past, crashing over the speed-bumps which you said wouldn't work; but even if you had the money to fit modern double glazing you're not allowed.

Councillors should bite the bullet and restrict traffic in such areas while providing the practical alternative. If they don't, pedestrianisation will fail; and they'll look daft then, won't they?

C. Johnson Kendal n Sir, Does the pedestrianisation scheme for Kendal have any serious foundation?

We are now to have buses going the wrong way, cyclists going both ways, residents, taxis and businesses with unrestricted access, unloading before 11am and after 4pm except on Wednesdays and Saturdays when market day will reduce the availability of access to the market place.

What other town or city has a pedestrianised area with so much traffic being allowed to pass through?

I don't want my rates money wasted on a scheme that promises to deliver shopping-free traffic, instead of the benefits that other traffic-free areas give.

Mrs S. Davison Kendal