I HAVE lived in Royston for more than 20 years and love the place, and am proud to call myself a Roystonian. Sadly it is turning into a ghost town. Too many empty shops and, I am sorry to say, too many charity shops. The potential is here to change this t

I HAVE lived in Royston for more than 20 years and love the place, and am proud to call myself a Roystonian.

Sadly it is turning into a ghost town. Too many empty shops and, I am sorry to say, too many charity shops.

The potential is here to change this town into a thriving place to shop during the day, and somewhere for an enjoyable evening.

Someone, though, is letting the tax-paying public down.

Perhaps North Herts District Council should stop being so greedy and take a leaf out of East Herts District Council's book.

It should look at Buntingford which is thriving. The public can park for one to two hours along the High Street or in the car parks where there is no parking charges.

What does North Herts gain from charging people to visit a town which will eventually have nothing to offer because before long the traders we have now will pack up and leave.

If the district council stopped charging for parking the town will thrive, so will the shops and this will attract more investors.

Is this so hard for them to understand?

Although Tesco has to take a lot of the blame - and so does whoever gave it permission to expand - with good local butchers, greengrocers selling local produce, people could shop in the town.

The demand is not for pre-packed food that has travelled miles. Times are changing.

The district council should do something now and bring Royston back to the busy market town it was and deserves to become again.

S WEBSTER

Betony Vale

Royston