Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

How will the Conservatives dig themselves out of this?

The new council is being hit from all directions. Budget overspends, waste 'harmonisation' and education problems to name but a few.

The budget problem defies belief; a council that promised to save us millions of pounds a year as a unitary authority is already overspending. We're told that a drop in car parking fees and reduced planning applications have contributed to the problem. I would suggest that the word 'incompetance' is more appropriate. Questions need to be asked and I will certainly be doing so.

'Reduce, Re-use, Recycle' is the government mantra on waste. In English they mean that we should try to cut down on the amount of waste we produce, we should re-use what we can and re-cycle as much as possible of what is left. Landfill tax is going up and could have a serious impact on WC.

Following the move to one council the Conservatives need to 'harmonise' the waste collection system. Invariably when the word harmonise is used by the Conservatives it is interpreted as 'reduce to the lowest common denominator'. For the Hilperton area this could well see the introduction of charges for emptying our green bins. If this was balanced by the introduction of kerbside collection of cardboard and plastic it might be acceptable. The truth is probably that the Conservatives will 'forget' any pledges for the latter and tell us that it just isn't economic to do so.

On the education front schools tend to manage their finances far better than WC does. As a prudent measure they tend to keep cash reserves for planned projects etc. County Hall now has its eye on this money and there are rumours that the Conservatives are going to try and claw this money back. So much for encouraging schools to break-away from the dead hand of central control.