Bins folly

To deliver two large bins to all, irrespective of need, was surely the height of folly. Perhaps he could tell us what was the purpose of the so-called road show. It told us nothing that was not contained in the pamphlet delivered through the door; it gathered no figures relating to demand; it did not have a sample of the small black bin and there was no mention of the existence of a small green bin.

Instead of jollying around the territory they would have been better employed catching up on the survey Coun Morley refers to as "being behind schedule".

So Defra is paying for the green bins, but what about the cost of collecting unwanted bins and the replacement of large ones with smaller; is there a sale or return policy and how big is the market in second-hand bins?

If Hambleton District Council is so flush with money, it might consider doing something about the state of the cobbling alongside my house, which would torment the feet of a mediaeval pilgrim.

All this begs the effect of this policy on the appearance of conservation areas and those homes which lack a drive or back garden. Are these to be aesthetically compromised in the name of the great god Environment?

If 33pc of local authorities are using the alternate weekly collection of residual waste it must follow that 66pc are not. Why are HDC following the minority? The thought process underpinning this entire policy needs to be reconsidered in my opinion.

Accepting the majority of households will be happy to accept the new system, which will result in the reduction that Coun Morley seeks, surely a continuation of the existing system for a minority is not going to create any great problem. A flexible and common sense approach to the implementing of this policy rather than the dragooning of the electorate would be better for all.

B P M MCLOUGHLIN

Levenside,

Stokesley.

What next?

Sir, - What a pity that Coun Morley's reply concerning the wheelie bins (D&S, Aug 6) totally fails to answer one of the questions posed earlier (D&S, July 30), namely, what recompense can householders expect in return for freely performing tasks previously done by council employees?

Whatever will councils require next from their constituents? Will householders at some future date be required to clean that part of the road immediately outside their residences? Or participate in road repair gangs?

After all, national and local governments in the past have never lacked ingenuity or brass nerve when it comes to "taking their constituents for a ride". Once councils have been elected, that is.

But then Coun Morley is hardly alone among his councillor fraternity in failing to respond to public comment.

Coun Fort of North Yorkshire County Council has yet to explain how the dimensions of the present bus shelter outside the Buck Inn, Northallerton - the county town of North Yorkshire, no less - constitute an adequate substitute for the town's only bus station, sold off 20 years ago.

It would be interesting to hear a detailed explanation for this deplorable situation.

And Osmotherley Parish Council is strangely reticent in not publishing the survey which allegedly showed "very low demand" from residents for a second bus shelter in the village. It would be interesting for the parish council to state what percentage of respondents are car-users since the latter would presumably not need a second bus shelter anyway.

STUART ROBINSON

Oswaldene,

Osmotherley.

Railway waffle

Sir, - I am delighted to see that the Sowerby Parish Council has bestirred itself to take up the matter of the closed level pedestrian access to the platforms at Thirsk railway station. Better late than never, I suppose, since the crossing has been closed for well over a year now.

I, too, have been in recent correspondence with the railway authorities, though in my case with the train operators. They came up with reams of vague and worthy waffle, and no date for the re-opening; which was strange since work had already started to renovate the crossing. The best they could come up with was the offer of a taxi from York or Northallerton to anyone potentially stranded on Thirsk station. That could also come in handy in the (not infrequent) situation that there is nobody on duty at the station to answer the bell on the crossing, and come to open the gates.

The railway is one of the most potentially disability-friendly modes of transport, if only station access can be brought up to scratch. I remember writing to you to propose a solution to the problem at Thirsk, when the crossing was first closed (after a tragic accident in East Anglia) which would be to relocate the platforms on the outside of the two lines serving stopping trains.

Cheaper than ramps or lifts, I suspect, and more dignified for the disabled, as well as those of us with bicycles or heavy luggage.

CHRISTOPHER M PURSER

Front Street,

Sowerby.

Missed out

Sir, - I have recently received a copy of Great Summer Days Out produced by the One NorthEast tourism team.

While being a useful and interesting publication, it came as a great surprise to me to find that Killhope Museum in Upper Weardale had not been included.

I often take my grandchildren to Killhope, indeed they ask "when can we go again?" It's a great place for children with the added interest of special workshops sometimes. I am amazed and puzzled that Killhope was not included in the above publication.

KATHY GYLLS

Causeway

Wolsingham

WI fundraising

Sir, - We refer to a news item, "£5,000 grant for WI hall upgrade" (D&S, July 23). We are delighted that North Yorkshire councillors have agreed to help our project to improve the WI hall in Great Ayton.

However, your report wrongly states "the institute has secured £23,000 from a development fund for WI halls. There is no such fund.

The £23,000 in question has been raised from grants, donations and the generosity of WI members, friends and local organisations who have supported our fundraising events in Great Ayton. Work is now in progress on phase one of the alterations and this grant from the county council towards this work is greatly appreciated.

JEAN DUFFEY, hall manager, and EUNICE ADAMS, fundraising co-ordinator

Great Ayton WI.

Editor's note: The information was supplied to our staff reporter by the county council

Crime pays?

Sir, - I read with "disgust" the article (D&S, Aug 6) concerning Redcar and Cleveland Council paying for a young arsonist to behave himself. When I was growing up in the Fifties, any person setting fire to property was sent for psychiatric treatment, no matter what age. When are the powers that be going to realise that the experiment started in the Sixties has been a complete flop? What is the next agenda, paying criminals not to commit crime?

N AUCKLAND

Abberston Walk,

Middlesbrough.