Readers' letters - March 9

I think the county council and the borough councils have some consistent arithmetic to do between them regarding garden waste.

County Councillor Johnstone tells us that composting separated garden waste costs £100 per tonne less than consigning it to landfill (LP Letters, February 23).

Yet the borough councils are increasingly seeking to charge households £30 per year (and more), despite householders’ unpaid efforts to separate it and thereby save the authorities around 80 per cent of their potential costs.

If this was a firm-to-firm commercial business transaction, that would never get off the ground, would it?

There are many people who will always seek to do ‘the right thing’, so local government might get away with it to some extent. But there are others who will see it as a kick in the teeth and who will seek to kick back.

Rationalising that they don’t make very much garden waste, they will decide to compost it themselves and decline the charged-for bin.

And then on those occasions when their garden waste is a bit more that normal, it will be dumped inappropriately or packed into bags in the non-recyclable waste.

They may also feel that their co-operation streak has been wiped out and become far less diligent at separating out plastic, glass, paper and cardboard. After all the easiest line, if one is discouraged, is “bin the lot”.

The local government authorities could then find not only that garden waste disposal costs will rise but that income from recycled material will decline and those wonderful total recycling percentages will ‘go for a burton’.

Cajoling the public to work free of charge for local government by four-way separation of their waste materials will not be achieved by charging them for doing it.

Neil Inkley

Walton-Le-Dale

politics

A poorer country for us all to live in

May I congratulate the Government, aided it seems by local authorities, for destroying everything I love about this country?

What is it about the Tories that they despise our beautiful countryside, public services such as libraries and children’s centres, people who are sick, poor or vulnerable and, of course, our NHS?

If a compassionate party which cares about people, animals and the environment doesn’t get in the next 10 years, I predict the following:

n The NHS will be completely privatised – this won’t affect the rich but you ordinary people, well, best of luck, you’ll need it.

n At this current rate of building houses and roads, there will be no more green belt. No more wildlife and, even if you don’t care about green issues, the roads will be totally congested, leading to stress.

But at least, finally, the brown belt might get built on and empty houses might get renovated as there will be no more countryside left.

n Tax cuts for the rich and big companies but, oh dear, the Government is running out of funds. Benefits for the poor and disabled will have to be decreased. Again.

n All public services will be privatised or gone.

At least the worst will have happened and, as it continues on a gradual basis, we will gradually get used to it.

It will just be a more divided, less compassionate country, a nation of stress and congestion, with less wildlife and green space.

And I haven’t even mentioned the uncertainty of Brexit!

Jane

Lancashire

sport

Simon’s the best football manager

Simon Grayson (pictured) for Prime Minister.

He’s the best manager in my lifetime and that’s including the late great Alan Ball Senior, David Moyes, John McGrath etc!

And of course Alan Ball Sen being the manager at the time of the Gentry, myself being one of the original ones.

Consolidating this season with still a very slim chance of the play-offs is, in my opinion, just as good as winning the play-offs at Wembley 20 months ago, with North End being among the four smallest clubs in the Championship.

Well done Simon and all his backroom staff and, of course, all the players, a great mix of youth and experience.

Big Dave

A loyal North End fan for 65 years plus

sport

Team was Preston Catholic College

The team pictured was Preston Catholic College 1st Eleven 1958/59 (LP Looking Back March 7).

Back Row – Stephens, Markland, Lafferty, Plumb, Winders, Metcalf.

Front Row – Orritt, Clegg, Walker (Capt) Molyneux Moon.

All college teams played in green shirts which were supplied but the players had to provide their own white shorts and socks which, as you can see from the picture, were a variety of colours.

All games were played on Saturday mornings and, for many players, it was a rush to get back to their local Saturday team, usually for a 2pm kick-off in the local Preston Leagues.

Dennis Higgins

Fulwood

health services

Cash thrown at wrong priorities

The news that the NHS plans to make cuts in service provision come as no surprise, this has been on the cards for over 20 years.

It’s clear the dismantling of the NHS is well underway.

The money that has been thrown at outside agencies to make savings, huge salaries for CEOs, an ever growing army of pen-pushers, private tendering, agency staff and biscuits in boardrooms should have been put back into the service.

Ms Lynn Brookes

Fulwood

traffic

People breathing in bus fumes

The new road near Marks & Spencer, Preston, is way too small for buses.

People are breathing in bus fumes.

There should be no traffic at all from Church Street to the railway station.

JW Alston

Address withheld

traffic

Accident waiting

to happen on road

Parking and driving on Barnacre Road, Longridge, has become ridiculous and dangerous.

On Friday morning, while walking to school, a child was nearly hit by a car that had mounted the kerb and drove on the pavement as the driver in question ‘simply could not wait’ for the road to become clear.

All parents, please act responsibly when dropping off and picking up children.

Driving in such an irresponsible way is an accident waiting to happen.

Name and address supplied