Green waste charge can’t be justified

So Cllr Ganly has added his comments to defending the indefensible with regard to charging for the green waste collection. I applaud his comments in trying to reduce costs but he does not link this action to the issue of the green waste collection in Rother, so why mention it. He merely goes on to state that this collection is “hugely uneconomical”, so the question is why have they implemented such a scheme, are they are now admitting to being incompetent in the manner in which they introduced the green waste collection. If improving the scheme merely requires those people who use the green bin collection to be registered, then why not simply do this, why an additional charge?

Going on to justify the charge with the already discredited argument, used by Cllr Maynard, that those who use the service should pay for it, he ignores the point made by several correspondents that this would allow council taxpayers to opt out of services.

There is a fundamental issue at stake having the potential to adversely affect council taxpayers in Rother. We either stay with the principle that everybody pays council tax regardless of services used, so we know what our payments are, with the added benefit that administrative charges are kept to a minimum.

Alternatively we accept the view of these two Councillors, who wish to have an arbitrary scheme which allows them to charge extra for services, at their whim, which “they deem fair”. The result would be higher administrative charges and a worsening of the financial situation. This would be the thin end of the wedge for the council taxpayers of Rother, what would be the next charges they would introduce as “extras”- household waste collection, children’s services, social care etc ad infinitum.

Talk of improved kerbside collections at a time of austerity is ill judged. Especially when it can only be the proposed green bin charge which pays for this, destroying the argument of “those who use it should pay for it”.

Council taxpayers check your Councillors views, remember you have the last word at local elections.

Derek Tomsett,

Furnace Lane, Beckley