Concerned at abandonment of garden waste charge

Published on 30/01/2013 08:55

WE are concerned at the abandonment of the proposal to charge £20 a year for garden waste collection, and were disappointed with the implication in the mayor’s letter that this was some kind of achievement to be welcomed.

The charge was reasonable, in our view, and might have been subject to concessions.

Its abandonment, together with the waste of public money in making refunds to those of us who have already paid the fee, seems a shocking waste of resources in the current critical situation.

In this light, the Labour Party’s opposition to the charge seems unprincipled.

It seems to us that £20 a year, for those of us fortunate to have gardens, is good value for money and an excellent way to help the council make ends meet in these difficult times.

When the refund arrives unasked for in our bank account, we will pay it to a local charity in need of funds as a result of council cuts.

We mention this in case others in our position might like to do the same.

A M SUSMAN and M A PERKINS

Whitley Bay

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Concerned at abandonment of garden waste charge

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