Step too far?

In a developed western country, where we are charged high council taxes, we should expect to receive due consideration for the tax paid.

Apart from any other factor, I also believe that it is a public health hazard to have rotting waste left for up to two weeks or more.

We do not receive that consideration, due in part to the quite flagrant abuse of the taxpayers’ funds. I cite as an example the wasted costs of numerous planning inquiries concerning, among others, the redevelopment of the centre of Malton and the redevelopment of the market and proposal for another supermarket in one of the car parks.

I am advised that further bin collection restrictions are as a direct result of a lack of council funds and has nothing to do with a green economy.

Indeed, I am advised I can take any excess rotting waste to the tip myself.

What also irks me considerably is that there has been no public consultation whatsoever about this matter.

Furthermore, a bin belonging to me personally, which I purchased more than 20 years ago, was actually taken away by the council this week.

They have since apologised and agreed to return it, and to date they have returned one bin, which was not my bin and was in a very sorry state of cleanliness and I have demanded my bin to be returned, which was in a good state of repair and cleanliness.

As electors of our council, the time has now come to bring this council to heel and to stop the flagrant waste of money and to ensure that a proper public service is provided, which would include a weekly collection of waste bins, which, to my certain knowledge, occurs in other parts of the UK, but in particular in a number of European countries as well as third world countries.

Michael Oakley, Oswaldkirk