Since moving to Mitcham a few years ago, there are two things I can be certain of as I hear the Wimbledon Guardian arrive.  And both were beautifully illustrated by Councillor David Dean.

Firstly, that without fail each week there will be a letter from an opposition councillor decrying the shameful cuts in public services being imposed by the Labour Council.  To Mr Dean et al - we, the public, are not idiots.

 Rather than waste your time with such blatant politicking, perhaps you could instead write letters to your coalition colleagues requesting an end to ever harsher austerity.

 There is not a single council which is not having to make very tough decisions about what to cut, as cuts have to be made - please start working positively and proactively to help make these difficult decisions and minimise the impacts on the most vulnerable.

Secondly, that as soon as the words wheelie bin are whispered, a barrage of apocalyptic predictions will flood the letter pages. 

Mitcham is the first area of London I have lived in which does not have wheelie bins and it amazes me - they are so easy and unassuming. 

My current street is covered in waste for days after rubbish collection day, rubbish bags left out overnight providing a buffet for our appreciative foxes (who in turn are breeding like....rabbits). 

Perhaps people work shifts and cannot put bags out in the morning, perhaps they are just selfish. 

The fact is, wheelie bins would solve this problem.

 These unassuming sentinels quite happily exist across London and the UK - in 2013 82% of English councils used them, and the country has not descended into anarchy.

 Please can we have sensible debate about this - there may be a high upfront cost, but perhaps they provide cost savings in the long term through more efficient collection/disposal? 

They will certainly result in cleaner streets.

Pete Lawrence

Mitcham

 

MORE WIMBLEDON STORIES »