Councillor Melanie Davis asks me to answer her question on my decision to put proposals for the roll-out of communal bins in Brighton and Hove city centre to the environment committee in September (Letters, August 6).

The question she omitted to ask is why, despite the overwhelming success of the previous administration's trial of communal bins in 2003 (not last year as she states in her letter) they did not have the common sense to roll out communal bins beyond the trial area since then. As a result the rest of the city centre has had to continue to put up with black sacks ripped open by seagulls and consequently litter-strewn streets.

Coun Davis has clearly not done her research into communal bins if she thinks the service will be funded by introducing fortnightly collections to those areas she refers to as outlying (Woodingdean, Rottingdean, Withdean, Patcham and Hangleton).

Introducing communal bins will result in financial savings, so there will be no need to subsidise the scheme by reducing services in other areas.

Historically Brighton's reputation has been ruined by the sight of black bags on the pavement ripped open by seagulls. This has resulted in our Regency streets, which Coun Davis is so concerned about protecting from communal bins, and the remaining city centre streets that she does not mention, being strewn with litter ruining the environment and creating a health hazard for everyone who lives in this beautiful city. It is also an eyesore for the eight million people who visit us every year and has a detrimental impact on our businesses.

It is inevitable that some on-street parking space will be lost, but every effort will be made to minimise this.

The proposal for the roll-out of communal bins is currently being finalised and will be presented in a report to the council's environment committee. At the meeting Coun Davis will have the opportunity, if she wishes, to vote against the proposal, but that vote would be for keeping a dirty, unhealthy and frankly prehistoric method of dealing with our waste. Hopefully common sense will prevail.

I am writing in response to the many letters about the introduction of communal bins. I have lived in the Clifton Hill area for over 11 years.

During this time there has constantly been rubbish scattered over the pavement and road.

I welcomed the arrival of communal bins in this area. Not everyone is lucky enough to live in a singleoccupancy house as most people in Brighton and Hove live in flats. I am soon going to move to a flat in Hove where there is an inadequate solution to the storing of rubbish - a small cupboard next to the basement flat. This is a health hazard and makes unpleasant smells for the people whose front door it is next to.

As for problems with overflow and fly-tipping, this seems to be as prevalent in streets without communal bins. The council need better policies and actions to combat this.

I welcome the introduction of communal bins throughout Brighton and Hove where possible. I think they will be less of an eyesore than rubbish and a more practical solution for the majority of Brighton and Hove residents.

  • Isabel Shaw, Clifton Place, Brighton