THE wording on the street sign pictured and the manner in which local roads in Windermere are used for parking somehow seems to typify the attitude of Windermere residents towards visitors.

Here, the phrase "Please park elsewhere" is not particularly helpful if you are unfamiliar with where the car parks are.

Similarly I have noticed over a number of visits the selfish parking, presumably by residents, of vehicles that appear never to move: the brightly coloured campervan near the library and the rather sad-looking Alfa Romeo in Broad Street being good examples.

We also have numerous examples of houses with drives and the capacity to accommodate the occupant’s car, but these are left on the street. Given all the capacity local residents are using themselves, it is perhaps not surprising that drivers from outside the area will resort to parking in places which residents may not welcome.

While my comments are specific to Windermere I am sure the issue is not unique to the town. It also underlines how difficult it must be for planners to balance the preferences of all who wish to drive a car in the Lake District.

I’d strongly recommend the residents of Phoenix Way, and others who have a similarly worded sign, reflect on the impact of their sign to visitors, particularly given the importance of tourism to the local economy.

Maybe it would be more straightforward to simply remove the words "Please park elsewhere". The remaining words, "Parking for Residents Only", is sufficient.

In the meantime, the Phoenix Way residents can be assured I shall indeed ‘"park elsewhere" on my next holiday, which will be in the Peak District.

Guy Lingford

Sandbach