I FIND it very strange that Halton Council would like to increase the council tax by 17 per cent when they have just destroyed Norton Rec to make room for more houses.

This would increase the income of council tax to the borough and then investing half a million pounds of tax payers' money into making an all-weather football pitch for Brookvale Rec, only to hand it over to a private company to reap the benefits.

The obvious solution is if they want to hand over the running of Halton Council's only recreation centre in Runcorn to a private company who will increase admission fees and decrease safety, is to let the private company pay for the all-weather pitch and save half a million pounds. Furthermore, where has the money from the sale of the land once occupied by Norton School and Recreation Centre been invested?

George Leech, Palacefields.