Parking is always a contentious issue but there’s no getting away from the fact that cars are part of our lives, so it’s important to create a functioning system to deal with them.

And the park and rides at Henlade and Silk Mills should be an integrated part of this system. These facilities are not just convenient for drivers, especially commuters, many of whom head from the Wellington and Wivesliscombe directions, leaving their cars all day, but in keeping cars out of town the park and rides help to reduce congestion and air pollution, and they fit with Taunton’s Garden Town ethos and the future transport strategy.

On these grounds I’ve been meeting with leaders from Somerset County Council (SCC) and Taunton Deane Borough Council (TDBC) to consider how both park and rides might be kept open. Given that SCC built the park and rides and subsidise them to the tune of £130,000 a year – each person using it is effectively getting a subsidy – and given that TDBC runs the car parks in town – deciding ticket prices and keeping the revenue – it would seem sensible to bring both facilities under one hat, thereby developing a more comprehensive system.

It seems that users say they could tolerate a small rise in park and ride costs and could cope with buses every 15 minutes rather than every 12 minutes, both of which would make the service more economic. There does seem to some mileage in these proposals, so let’s hope for some action before the end of the month. It goes without saying that the more people who use the facility the more economic it will be. Don’t let that stop people using their bikes, however, with all the merits they bring.

This issue is part of a much wider discussion about which services society should expect to be delivered by our local authorities and how best to do this, especially in rural areas. Recent announcements that SCC is cutting a raft of services to focus on the escalating demands of its core statutory responsibilities – learning disabilities, children’s services and adult social care – brings this issue into sharp relief. Needless to say I’m raising this with Ministers.

On a lighter note, I much enjoyed the eat:Wellington Food and Drink Festival at the weekend, which brought together such a glorious cornucopia of local producers. The town had a real buzz and I had many really positive comments from people. Events that bring people into the town and showcase what a lovely place Wellington is must be good.

One couple who agree that Welly is a great place, are Kim and Paul Shipp, so much so that they have upped sticks from Winchester, moved to Wellington and taken over Mary Jenkins fruit and veg shop. I’m delighted they have and that this fine shop, where I buy produce when I can, is staying open.

By the way, I read with interest the discussion regarding moving the Wellington Remembrance Service to Sunday morning. While I understand the reasoning, Sir Michael Rose points out this would clash with the Taunton service and so as your MP I would have to alternate, therefore only being able to attend every other year, which would be a great shame from my point of view.

Rebecca Pow

MP for Taunton Deane