I would like to respond to the letter from R Henderson (HAS, Oct 22)

which wrongly states that Durham County Council is talking about closing nine Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC).

In fact, we are hoping to consult with residents on the possibility of closing six sites, but replacing them in the areas in need with mobile services.

By listening to residents on important issues like this we learn how changes would affect them and can take steps to mitigate problems before decisions are made. In addition, mobile services in some rural areas would lead to a better service than static sites can currently offer.

The letter talks about any closures resulting in higher rates of flytipping across our countryside. Firstly I would issue a warning to anyone considering this as an option to say that Durham County Council operates a strong partnership approach to flytipping with the Environment Agency, which is based upon a mix of education and enforcement.

I would also like to assure everyone that most flytipping is linked to commercial waste dumping and commercial waste is already banned from HWRCs.

In closing, I would just like to say that even if the council adopts changes similar to those proposed in the current report to cabinet, the county would still enjoy a greater level of coverage than many other comparable local authorities with 96 per cent of the population being able to access a site within five miles in a urban area or 10 miles in a rural area.

I very much hope residents will get the chance to have their say on this in public consultation in the near future.

Councillor Bob Young,

Durham County Council.