MAY I be permitted to respond to the letter 'We're responsible' printed in the Review, October 14.

When the council decided a few years ago to collect green waste householders were issued green bags weekly. If required more than one plastic bag was given.

The service then was free of charge and it encouraged householders to put their green waste out for collection.

I have a little more than a 'large garden' so I used to put several bags out.

The council then decided to issue green wheelie bins for the waste to be put into. This again was free of charge. Householders who need­ed more than one wheelie bin could have them so I obtained three bins which I fill for most collections. This service has been going for a number of years and has always been free of charge.

I was always under the impression that householders paid council tax for services not just to pay council staff.

Now we are in recession and the council tax has not been increased this year and I understand will not be increased next year.

Now the writer who stated she does not mind paying £1 a bin for collection had to pay £25 for a load to be taken away. I would like to be that the 'load' was more than a few bins capacity.

She writes that she does not think she was entitled to have this waste collection free of charge and questions the right of senior citizens to be given free bus passes.

In my original letter I made no reference to keeping the waste collection free of charge. Indeed I stated that I had no objection to paying something but I felt that £1 per bin was too much and it could cost me £78 per year instead of £26.

No doubt there are householders who only put one bin out but I have seen premises where up to three bins have been put out for collection. Should these householders who put three bins out pay £78 per year for the service?

The writer further states that she thought my letter's reasoning and advice rather misguiding ie to guide wrongly, to lead into error.

I am not against paying for the service but I personally believe that £1 a bin is too much. The writer may not think so but I am certain there are numerous taxpayers who think as I do.

I also believe that people will now burn their waste, which is not what the council want.

Perhaps Anne Hurwitz believes that we should also pay for the recycling items to be collected. After all this is an extra service which we get free of charge.

I have been very keen on recycling for many, many years. I do not mind paying extra under the present recession for a service. £1 per bin may not be much for Anne Hurtwitz but it is a lot to people who do not have much money and who, through circumstances, have to pay full council tax.

Let us have a bit of consideration from the council. If Anne Hurwitz believes £1 is not much when everything else is so expensive, let us have her thoughts on closing libraries, planning car park charges, reduction in various organisations etc. After all these are all what we pay council tax for.

– Janet Pennock, Ruardean Woodside.