On the very same day we receive a sheet in the post stating cheerfully that our bin collections are decreasing in regularity and that disposal regulations are becoming stricter, we receive the letter informing us that our council tax bills are increasing - and not just by a vaguely expected amount. By a drastic amount. Yes, the breakdown of percentages of where each of these are directed is included, but the average household increase and decrease in local and otherwise services simply don’t tally.

This sentiment I’m sure reaches further than our own village. Local roads are diabolical, damaging to vehicles and frankly dangerous. The parish council has recently seen fit to remove (regularly filled) refuse bins on a picturesque village green “because they can’t afford to pay anyone to collect the waste”. Our household bins will now be removed on a less regular basis. Fly tipping is already a real issue in our rural area, and the tips are making it more difficult than ever to dispose of waste in a sensible way.

How on earth can we afford to swallow these rising costs with a reduction in support from our local and wider governments? How can it be right that so little of our council tax is fed directly back into our local areas? 

Join us in making as much noise as possible. We can only try.

With despair,

Your fellow council tax slaves.