Bin collection

In the 1970s we3 lived in a town that had a district heating system. It was an excellent way to use up rubbish. Then the residents for some reason decided they didn't want to share the pipes and system with others. It coincided with a change from Labour to Tory MP.

Many of the essential services in our town have been cut to the bone or stopped, however the town hall is nearing the end of a massive modernization program which includes new central heating, new windows, desks, chairs, chandeliers, cafeteria, reception, partitioning, state of the art tea and coffee making machines .....etc it was estimated at the outset that this would cost in the region of £1.2 million however recent requests for a more up to date figure the tax payers alliance have been refused by the council on the grounds that the leader of the (Labour) council does not think the disclosure is in the public interest. I mean when it comes to bin collections or new chandeliers surely it's a no brainer. Chandeliers every time .

When was it planned, gillybob?
If it was a few years ago, it would cost more to cancel it.
Has your council sold off any buildings to pay for it? That's what's happening in Durham.

Is the town hall a listed building? If so, then the council may have found itself caught between a rock and a hard place as they will have been legally required to update it but also to a prescribed standard.

What's a state of the art coffee making machine btw? Not being sarky...just wondering what new way they've discovered to make undrinkable tea and coffee

From what I can find out ( it is all very secretive) it was planned in 2014. My problem is not with the modernisation itself but the unnecessary waste of money on expensive furniture, light fittings, carpets etc when the existing ones were absolutely fine . Infact our little community centre bid for the "old" chairs and they are brand new. I am also suspicious of the reasons for trying to withhold the final costs which must mean it is hugely over budget or they would be bragging that the work was completed on target. I have no idea what state of the art tea and coffee making machines are?( wording extracted from our local newspaper) I can only assume they are expensive and over the top but hey in our council nothing is too good for the pen pushers . Bless them they even get free Pilates sessions ( my Pilates teacher takes them) 3 times a week. All courtesy of the council tax payers !

Auntieflo is your food waste only collected every three weeks?

Our recyclable waste is collected every week, the general waste every two weeks, but we have barely hakf a bagful of that.

I don't have any children to educate any longer, but I haven't asked for a discount on my council tax!

If anyone puts out too many bags for landfill and isn't botheri g to recycle, the Council is supposed to come round and re-educate them. However, one of our neighbours doesn't recycle and I don't think he has been re-educated yet!
We pay extra for garden waste, bags which cost so much per annum and you pay per bag.

Landfill is really a dreadful antiquated system and a time bomb - for our granchildren.

Of course the old incinerators were crude and didn't have the necessary filters to avoid pollution. Modern ones, linked to heating system for communities or factories nearby is really the way to go. Yes, it will be expensive at first- but what on earth is the alternative???

We recycle to the max- but then what can't be recycled doesn't really worry me as I know it will be incinerated in a modern and efficient, non polluting way and provide energy. Win, win and more win.

We have already created "the time bomb" for our grandchildren . Is it just me that finds this all a bit hypocritical? That after a lifetime of throwing everything into landfill those of us who did exactly that should be the recycle /anti waste preachers . We had a perfectly good waste plant in our town . Closed down a few years ago now and replaced by what? A green bin or two ?