GREEN big charges have been a contentious issue on our letters page. 

Here's what readers had to say this week...

I AM writing to register my disgust at the council’s plans to charge for green waste collection.

Firstly I understand that cuts need to be made. However I would appreciate a bit of honesty.

People are rightfully asking why they should pay when it has been coming out of council tax payments.

The response was that it wasn’t and it is an extra service. Really.

Let’s imagine then that 2,000 homes signed up at £30 a year.

That is £60,000 to run the bin service.

Will this even cover the cost of the workmen’s wages? Let alone the wagons, fuel costs, waste tax and the cost of providing new bins for some people.

What a risk the council is taking.

Secondly, fly tipping is already rife. The council has informed us that we can’t use our black bins to put green waste in should we choose not to use the green bin service. Please inform the public what you will do if someone does this.

What will stop neighbours filling another neighbour’s bin up without their knowing on the day of collection?

Finally, and this is the one which really gets me, if you can’t do it online then you have to go into town and pay an extra £3.

Well that is many of the older generation who are getting stung an extra 10 per cent.

This is an ill thought out piece of cost cutting.

I look forward to seeing the council coming round to my area to remove the tonnes of fly tipped grass and hedge trimmings each summer.

Those that can pay and are responsible will pay or take it to the tip. Those that can’t pay are stuck and those that are irresponsible will dump it.

STEPHEN CARTLEDGE Orford

Back door fees

AN open letter to the chief executive of Warrington Borough Council and David Mowat MP re: green bin collection charge.

You may come up with arguments that the council is not required to make garden waste collections but isn’t the real reason for the charge, which is required to be paid in the 2016/2017 tax year, a back doors means of overcoming government guidelines on the limit of council tax rises?

By adding a fee of £33 (not everyone is on the internet) it raises the increase from 3.72 per cent to 5.98 per cent.

The March collections have already been pre-paid up to April 4.

Perhaps you should consider not collecting black or blue bins from those households who have not paid council tax, I’m sure there are many. I no longer drive a car but if I did then I would be a regular visitor to Sandy Lane.

I think you may discover canal banks and railway embankments, along with country lane verges, become popular dumping sites and will be more costly to clear away than just carrying on as before.

I also hope that as we will be paying a greater effort will be made to shake the complete contents of the bins into the wagon.

PATRICK L HORSTMAN Stockton Heath