Stunned by rate increases (From Gazette & Herald)

Stunned by rate increases

LIKE many others (especially pensioners) I was stunned by the massive increase in the rates, but thought perhaps that it might lead to improved services.

Sure enough, when I went out to the mobile library last month (it only comes every three weeks, not fortnightly as it used to), there was a gleaming white and purple monster. How nice, I thought, for the librarians who drive these things round our precipitous and narrow lanes and have had a lot of problems with breakdowns. Then I looked at the registration and saw that it was the same old L - making it nearly as antique as me. This morning, three weeks on, came a phone message to say the van had broken down, although it had made it to our village. I now understand that our cash-strapped council is changing the livery of all its vehicles and not only that, the operatives have matching purple T-shirts. Surely some vehicle replacement would be helpful, to say nothing of more new books more often. One can go on indefinitely. We are now acquiring ramps and footpaths at bus stops - but within a few feet the path disappears decanting the user onto a rough verge or narrow lane. I hope the disabled or young mothers with buggies can cope.

In winter, we do not get our part of the village gritted. We have one small bunker to grit it ourselves - if you can get there over the ice. The whole village only has about three.

Police presence? Since September 11, a police vehicle drives round the village four times a day. You could hide an army in our huge back gardens, but they wouldn't be noticed. The police don't stop, don't look round - though they may condescend to wave. If you need the police, they often have to come from Malton or Scarborough. No wonder a farmer can lose £10,000 of sheep. More than once.

I suppose all one can say is that we have a calm, peaceful life up here on the edge of the moors - but the price we have to pay is enormous. With a pension increase of under 2pc, how does one find an extra 20pc plus for council tax? Our life becomes ever more frugal to meet these inescapable demands.

If the council say they can't afford basic services, then they should surely reduce the rate accordingly for services not received.

Updated: 15:51 Wednesday, April 30, 2003