FURTHER to the remarks (LET, July 14) of Rossendale's planning officer, Philip Cunliffe, on people "hogging" car parking spaces in Rawtenstall so that they can travel to work in Manchester on the bus, while I can understand the frustration of people who work in Rawtenstall, surely it is wrong to advocate that these people "are not contributing to the local economy."

Is it not these same people who pay local rates and taxes and buy the majority of their goods locally from the money they earn from their employment in Manchester and who then pays for and maintains those same car parks?

Perhaps credit should be given to these same people who are "doing the green thing" and using public transport.

What a pity the local public transport system is not up to catering for these converts. If it was, then the need to drive to catch a bus would not occur - and, hey presto! no more parking problem.

S G LANGRIDGE, Helmshore Road, Helmshore.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.