COUNCIL TAX

BEFORE our leaders at Wear Valley District Council get too carried away (Echo, Feb 27) regarding the low council tax rises for this year (but still double inflation) might I remind them that, year-on-year, they are levying a percentage against a much larger total.

When I moved into a new house ten years ago, my council tax was about £750, next year it will be £1,413, a five per cent rise on £750 being £37.50 and five per cent of £1,413 being £70.65. Hardly credible enough to start a round of back-slapping.

This, despite annual reductions in services and facilities and rises for councillors.

We also now see that many things that we thought we had already paid for - such as rubbish collection, car parking charges and pay-as-you-drive road tolls - will be, or have been, introduced to further boost the income of the local authorities, without any reduction in council tax levels.

For those on fixed incomes, such as pensioners, the low paid and a great many people in the private sector, these rises create an automatic reduction in available spending money. - Jim Tague, Bishop Auckland Conservatives.

WHERE TO PLAY?

ALTHOUGH a large number of houses have already been built in Crook and the surrounding areas, and building work is still going on, further planning permission is being sought for the last patch of green land, (described as "waste ground") situated on West Road and adjoining the Thistleflat estate.

For many years now, this land has been used by children as a play area, and at one time had swings and roundabouts on it.

Children are no longer allowed to play ball games in the street, and even green areas within both the private and council-run estates have notices on them stating "No ball games". If children are left with nowhere to play, can we be surprised if they hang about the streets, or become vandals or graffiti artists?

I hope this area will not be built on, and that consideration will be given to the needs of the children who live in the many houses nearby. - H Davies, Crook.