This morning I receive a letter from a couple living in The Readings. They wrote to Harlow Council - within the time limit - to object to the Council's proposals to introduce pay and display parking at the Latton Bush Centre and elsewhere.

On Monday 19 December they received a letter from the Council - they've enclosed a copy. It tells them that the Council has made a number of minor amendments to the proposed scheme. In view of these changes, says the letter, if the Council does not hear from the residents in writing by noon on Friday (23 December), the Council will treat their objections as having been withdrawn.

Quite rightly, the residents are incensed. Three and a half days, especially at Christmas, is a totally unacceptable deadline. I make a swift couple of calls to the relevant managers. As a result, the Council will be writing to all objectors who received the previous letter, giving a revised - and much more reasonable - deadline of Friday 6 January.

It does however seem rather strange that the Council should be able to assume that objectors have withdrawn their objections unless they hear otherwise. I've queried this with the relevant Council officer, who tells me that's what the law requires. Not for the first time, it appears that "the law is an ass".