FASHIONS change, even when dealing with something as prosaic as disposing of all the tons of rubbish we plonk into our dustbins every week.

Thirty years ago, rubbish from Brighton was tipped in a foul-smelling and untidy tip at Sheepcote Valley while Hove's refuse produced an acrid black stench when it was shoved into an ancient incinerator at the Leighton Road site.

Since then, big transfer stations and recycling sites have been built at Sheepcote Valley and Leighton Road. But the rubbish is taken to tips which are far away at Washington, near Steyning, and Asham, near Lewes, where it is out of sight and almost out of mind.

This highly expensive and environmentally unfriendly process cannot be allowed to continue for much longer, not least because the tips are becoming full. But what to do in the future has created a big row in Brighton and Hove, which shows no signs of abating.

It would be ideal if most of the rubbish was recycled and as little as possible was taken to tips but changing people's habits is going to take time. The draft waste plan envisages the proportion recycled increasing from around eight to 46 per cent.

Iregard that as highly ambitious but many opponents of the plans are suggesting far higher recycling figures. They are also totally against energy from waste plants which would convert the rubbish into fuel.

That's another change in fashion, for when these plants were pioneered in East Sussex and on the Isle of Wight about 20 years ago, people came from all over the country to inspect and admire them.

Three areas are proposed as possible incineration sites in Brighton and Hove.

One is at Black Rock on the old gasworks but I think this should be ruled out because it would look unsightly on the seafront close to historic buildings and beautiful countryside.

The second is at Sheepcote and that should not be built because of a solemn and binding promise made to neighbours 20 years ago when the tip closed that the valley should be kept green and never used for rubbish again.

Irisk the wrath of my near-neighbour and columnist colleague Derek Jameson by suggesting that the third site for an incinerator at Shoreham Harbour has possibilities. After all, what is the port but an industrial area where not so long ago there were two power stations and a gasworks?

Modern incinerators are not like that awful old plant at Leighton Road. They are strictly controlled and they convert waste into heat which could be used to benefit local people.

It could be that there's more pollution from vehicles taking rubbish to landfill or recycling sites than from incinerators.

I'd like strict assurances about emissions and fumes before any such plant was built and I'd far rather that in the long term we recycled as much as possible.

But there's a danger that hysteria will defeat logic before the merits or otherwise of energy from waste are ever properly discussed.

THE SEAFRONT in Hove west of the King Alfred has partially become a parking lot with hire vans and advertising lorries taking up many of the spaces.

Restrictions or even charges for parking would keep the spaces clear for people who really need them.

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