Sir – What a great pity that Mr Pearce (last week’s Gazette Letters) has not attended any of the council’s leisure and recreation committee meetings, where he would have learned of the great changes that have been planned for the play areas of The Leys and which will be started this year.

The children’s paddling pool was closed as it had become too old and worn to take any more repairs – a fact, not a pretext – and the Gazette has published details of the ambitious projects which are a joint project with a local community group.

They include: a large splash pool, more play mobiles, a sandpit and much, much more.

As for the illegal parking along the road and the grass, this is a situation that we have been continually asking the police to attend to and the community wardens to monitor.

It is a shame that selfish and irresponsible people choose to park here, causing great inconvenience and safety hazards to users of The Leys and to the detriment of the grass and walls (where cars have damaged the walls of the church and disappeared leaving no details), when there is ample free parking throughout Witney – but perhaps they are just too lazy to park responsibly?

The majority of these people are not users of The Leys, as it is quite apparent that they park all day.

The financial cost to the town council to repair this damage runs into the hundreds, if not thousands of pounds, taking valuable funds away from more necessary projects.

Chrissie Curry, town councillor, Corn Street, Witney