It is nice to see the former Focus DIY car park at Tarpots, Benfleet, has been reopened, and it’s hoped the local traders can now recover a little of their losses in turnover experienced over the past six months.

Without question, it was a Castle Point Council initiative which managed to get it reopened, yet the authority clearly showed a delinquent lack of urgency in the process.

The car park closed at the beginning of June, and then in August it was reported the council had negotiated its reopening and all that was required was just the need to see to the legalities It’s good for residents and traders to have the car park back again, and the council should, I suppose, be thanked for its efforts, no matter how tardy they were.

But I just hope the council hasn’t been paying legal fees on a time basis for the three months of delay.

Brian Wilson
Shorefields
Benfleet