Having written to multiple parties already about this ridiculous mess, I recently tried again.

The reply from a long-standing Surrey councillor got me no further, containing the following: "On the Bushy Park ‘Temporary Closure?’, we have been round and round the circuit over this, plus the proposal to charge for car parking.

Neither Elmbridge or Surrey seem to want to take any official position, although, Stuart Selleck, as the then Leader of Elmbridge, did make representations.

The Molesey Residents Association has contacted Royal Parks, the Friends of Bushy & Home Parks, Richmond Council, SurreyCC & Elmbridge, all more than once and were also written to by several of our members.

Richmond are taking a laid back attitude with certain reservations, but has agreed a years trial, so that is where we are.

We suspect that whatever the representations on this and on similar plans for Richmond Park, Royal Parks are going to do whatever they want.”

Whatever view your readers take, a large number will be affected, and many will be inconvenienced with no end in sight. For their representatives to take such an apathetic stance is to me appalling.

And for the Royal Parks to arrogantly inflict such inconvenience - forget the near-invisible “public consultation” as a cynical joke - is frightening. “We know best!” at its very worst.

And they are supposed to serve the public, not the other way round.

The whole episode seems to me to be a microcosm of life in Britain under the current travesty of a government, where assaults on our freedom and quality of life are a daily occurrence. Please will the Comet keep the debate going.

Ian Bartlett,

Richmond