I AM grateful to Mr Barry for highlighting the consultation on the waste and recycling strategy. There is still plenty of time for people to respond as the consultation continues until November 14. The comments from Manningford Parish Council were also recognised and the front page of Wiltshire Council’s website now has a direct link to the consultation page where the other one I am involved with, the car parking charges consultation, is also prominent.
To date, we have received more than 2,400 responses to the waste strategy (and only around 800 so far in respect of the car parking charges) and as the waste team have just finished their round of presentations to all the area boards, I hope there will be many more. 
I know that many councillors have included reference to both consultations in their regular reports to parish magazines and I am sure this will stimulate residents to respond. I see nothing untoward in the ‘trickle down’ effect; indeed it is often the most effective way of communicating to residents. We have also had widespread local media coverage of the consultation, including from this very newspaper.
Mr Barry thinks that spending £150,000 (being 0.5 per cent of the waste budget) on a mailshot to all households would be a good thing. I beg to differ and suspect that most would go straight into the recycling box! 
In these straightened times, spending £150,000 would be a dreadful waste of council taxpayers’ money. We have to ensure that every penny counts and it could be far better spent on other services.
Bridget Wayman
Cabinet member for highways, transport and waste
Wiltshire Council