IT'S interesting to note that Liverpool City Council has banned daytime deliveries to businesses in Dale Street because so-called “flyparking” causes “substantial congestion”.

As a regular user of Dale Street – in both my own car and on buses – I happen to agree with the city on the obstacle course of parked vehicles that regularly litters the three-lane road.

However, I also have to ask – is this the same city council that was reported in the Daily Post two weeks ago as launching a public consultation over plans to reduce the same stretch of road to two lanes?

Am I the only one to spot the obvious contradiction in these two stances? Reducing lanes on Water Street caused “substantial congestion” and reducing Dale Street will do exactly the same.

Barry Wright, Bebington

Come and join us

I AM sorry that Robert Hughes (Labour's legacy, Letters, February 2) feels so insecure as he walks about the streets of Prenton, which he seems to believe is the “Dodge City” of the North-West. I expect he is as mistaken in that point of view as he is on economics.

Here at Chester, we do have our “mad moments”, but we can safely speak to people we meet out and about. Perhaps he should “up sticks” and join us.

Mr Hughes says that: ”One of the world's biggest and most trusted credit rating agencies puts the UK on a par with Chile because of the government's failure to put in place proper safeguards after the credit crisis.”

He puts a lot of faith in the opinions of credit rating agencies, forgetting, of course, that it was they who gave “Triple A ratings” to the packaged toxic asset products taken up by Northern Rock and other banks, and which dragged the world economy into this mess in the first place.

I would like to turn to football. Remember, it was football that began this correspondence.

If Mr Hughes does take up my suggestion to escape the unruly Prenton streets, he could transfer his allegiance from Tranmere Rovers to struggling Chester City FC.

In fact, as reported in this newspaper, Chester FC is for sale for £1, so he could even buy it. Perhaps the credit rating agencies would give such an investment a “Triple A rating”.

Alex Black, Chester

Binmen too early

I AM infuriated by our recycling collection service, which regularly either doesn't arrive on the day of the fortnight when it should, or comes so early that no-one has had a chance to put their blue bins out.

I live in Aigburth and we were due to have our collection on Monday. As we are told not to leave the bins on the pavement overnight in case they cause an accident, everyone wheels them out in the morning, usually on their way to work.

Last week, the wagon arrived at 8.30am before most people had done so.

I heard it coming, but by the time I got outside it had already raced down the road and was turning in to the next.

Some bins, like mine, were waiting in the front pathway, but there is apparently no question that the collectors could take a couple of steps off their route to pick it up.

Instead, they must have finished their work and been back in the warmth and comfort of the depot nice and early.

Lucky them, we all now have to look at over-spilling bins for the next three weeks.

Anna Peterson, L19

Hand was forced

HOW very convenient that Colin Eldridge has elected to sign the NUS Fairer Funding pledge just days after Labour PPC for Wavertree Luciana Berger pledged her support.

Eldridge has known about the pledge for months, and is on camera stating that he does not support the NUS campaign.

It is only in light of Luciana's immediate action that his hand has been forced.

The Lib-Dems believe in funding free education for the middle classes by cutting Labour's target of getting 50% of the population into Higher Education.

As a working class student, the policies of Eldridge and his party would essentially deny me the right of a university education.

Chloe Howard, L15

Good for our city

THE new and comprehensive smokefree strategy unveiled by Liverpool-born Health Secretary Andy Burnham has enormous – and welcome – implications for his home city.

In Liverpool, over a year ago, PCT funding established the first Illegal Alcohol and Tobacco team in the country, in which Trading Standards, HM Revenue and Customs and the Police work successfully as a single unit.

The strategy overall puts a welcome emphasis on protecting young people and helping them to avoid starting smoking.

Gideon Ben-Tovim, Chair, Liverpool PCT