Madam

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My prospective Conservative opponent believes "Cheltenham Spa station is appropriate for a small country town" (Letters, 13 January). How strange then that instead of backing proposals to improve it, he and his Borough Council colleagues are supporting the Gloucester Parkway station that could well undermine it further.

Cheltenham Chamber of Commerce has made an excellent alternative proposal to enhance Cheltenham Spa station using the whole site much better, providing modest multi-storey parking to treble the number of spaces and increasing the number of platforms. The Chamber estimate this could increase the capacity of the whole line by 12 trains a day - helping to meet a key objective the government has set the train operators. And it will cost less.

Cheltenham Conservatives claim Parkway will have environmental benefits. They're difficult to see. Even the Parkway bid document itself admits there will be an adverse impact on local landscape and biodiversity. The new station will be on Green Belt land, out of town and difficult for most people to reach except by car. In fact, former work colleagues of mine in Cheltenham already drive to Swindon or other stations in search of a better service. Reduce Cheltenham's further and even more people will get in the car to drive elsewhere.

The new Tory candidate should move to Cheltenham and try the current service out himself before endorsing his county colleagues' plans to reduce it. The Parkway plan is bad for the environment, bad for rail travellers and bad for Cheltenham.