LETTER: Bring back weekly rubbish collections

local Government Minister Eric Pickles is to be congratulated for offering funding of £250m. to councils to return to weekly bin collections. Why should they be bribed to do what, without question, should be their number one priority anyway, and foremost, what the public would like to see a return to?

Four out of 10 councils say they cannot afford to collect rubbish on a weekly basis. Why not? Where is the council tax we pay going? We, the householders and council tax payers, separate paper, cardboard, non-recyclables, garden waste, food waste, doing almost doing the job for them, barring taking it to the dump. Perhaps they would be happier if we did this also.

Why not try scrapping useless “diversity directo rates” and “climate control units” and “allowances paid to councillors” and while at it, kicking into touch all the “non jobs” we see advertised in the Guardian on a daily basis? Jobs like “walking co-ordinator”, ”trampoline co-ordinator” and job titles you would not believe. I don’t know who makes them up - those are just two of the more sensible ones.

The last time I wrote on “non jobs”, two readers wrote in defending them, but of course these were two people who were employed, yes, doing a non job, I think, as walking co-ordinators and were trying to justify their job. I bet they thought they’d hit the jackpot when they landed that one.

There are councils who still carry out weekly collections and make a profit on recycling. C’mon Pendle, try it.

PETER GARDINER

Wellington Street, Barnoldswick