Sir - When the Summertown controlled parking zone was set up, streets immediately to the north became commuter car parks overnight.

Cars were parked nose to tail in these streets. Petitioners against controlled parking should think twice: any streets that are left out of the new zones will probably suffer that fate again.

In fact, there was extensive support for the CPZ proposals until the Conservative councillors from the county decided to charge us for permits and at the same time awarded themselves and their electors the right to free parking in central Oxford at weekends and evenings.

It is crazy and unjust to expect residents to pay to park outside their homes given that it is free to park in the centre!

The idea that CPZ schemes should be self-financing doesn't stack up either: most other road schemes are financed from general taxation, and the county has set aside a large sum of money for compulsory purchase of parts of the shop forecourts in Summertown, for road widening.

It would make more sense to levy parking fees on non-residents who shun public transport, through parking meters or a congestion charge.

The income could be spent on improving residential areas, such as "home zone" schemes.

John Coleman, Oxford