The county council's decision to lose a potential £30,000 a month in revenue by allowing free parking in the evenings and on Sundays in Oxford city centre may seem baffling to some (Oxford Mail, May 16).

It seems that the motive behind this loss is to help Oxford's retail trading by encouraging some really 'Hey big spenders' into Oxford to splash their cash.

Oxford's retail business lags behind its other university rival, Cambridge, by millions of pounds. Oxfordshire is the third wealthiest county in Europe and is home to some seriously rich true blues.

Therein lies a potential treasure trove of revenue to be gleaned by Oxford traders.

Presumably, the super rich don't carry much small change in their pockets, hence the free weekend parking spaces.

SUSAN THOMAS Magdalen Road Oxford