Firstly it is a market place (the clue is in the name). It is privately owned; the town council leases it and pays an annual rent to the owner. When the council entered into the lease it did so on a financial calculation that the income the Market Place earns, which is mainly from market stall lettings, would make the lease roughly cost neutral in the long term.

There are, on my count, 179 parking places in public car parks within two minutes walk of the Market Place, not including the disabled bays or the small amount of on-street parking within that distance. There is, in addition, the 80 odd parking places of the Co-op supermarket, again not including the disabled bays.

Actually, I timed the walking distance from all these car parks as no more than 1m 30 secs, but I'm allowing for the fact that not everyone is as old as me, and younger people might be less mobile.

Chris Padley
Walesby Road, Market Rasen