Sir, - As the Johannesburg summit focuses the mind of the world on sustainable development, it would seem appropriate to check the record of our local councils on green issues.

Unfortunately, here in Richmondshire that record is appalling. No initiatives on recycling, indeed Richmondshire District Council actually reduced its budget for recycling this year, making it the lowest in real terms for many years.

The few recycling facilities, like the one here in Brompton-on-Swale, are little more than dumps that you have to drive to anyway, using up more fossil fuels in the process. And when you get here, the facilities are primitive, with not even a facility to recycle cans and other household metal.

Richmondshire District Council spends more on trips and other polluting jollies for senior staff and councillors then they do on recycling.

At very little extra cost, they could use existing facilities to initiate a proper collection service for recyclable materials, encourage businesses and households to sort their rubbish, cut unnecessary road journeys, re-use or stop using plastic shopping bags and, yes, think about sustainable development.

LESLIE ROWE

Brompton on Swale Liberal

Democrats,

Richmond Road,

Brompton on Swale,

Richmond.

Raptors are wild

Sir, - I refer to the letter by R K Dodsworth of West Rainton (D&S Aug 16) headed 'raptor worry', in which he neatly differentiates between wild birds and birds of prey, raptors.

They also are wild birds. Perhaps a little too much Jurassic Park for Mr Dodsworth as he seems to like the noun so much.

If the author of the letter had gone into the reasons for the decline of wild birds a little deeper he would have found that the major cause is pesticides. I recently had cause to query the use of pesticides with Middlesbrough Council who gave an unconvincing answer- I was querying the effects on protected birds.

Your previous correspondent it seems is on the side of the mindless individuals who poisoned the re-introduced red kites after they had been forced into extinction in the dales by man.

AW PARRY

Newlands Avenue,

Norton.