WE write as county and district councillors to keep residents informed of the future recycling arrangements for Buckden and surrounding villages. We can report that Huntingdonshire District Council is top of the recycling league in Cambridgeshire and, at

WE write as county and district councillors to keep residents informed of the future recycling arrangements for Buckden and surrounding villages.

We can report that Huntingdonshire District Council is top of the recycling league in Cambridgeshire and, at 53 per cent, is one of the best authorities in the country.

Cambridgeshire County Council, which is responsible for our waste, recently agreed a contract with Donarbon Waste Management to build a waste treatment plant that will enable most of this waste to be treated and processed. That way, it won't end up as landfill but will be recycled. Working towards a cleaner and safer environment sometimes means change.

We are therefore saddened that Councillor Peter Downes has chosen to use the future of the Buckden Recycling Centre as a party issue. He knows that both the district and county councils are determined to tackle the waste issue in the interests of the future, as well as the present. He knows that the county council does not own the Buckden site. The owners are demanding twice as much as any other recycling centre in the county. With Government cuts we just cannot afford it. We will support the suggestion that the site owners continue to keep the recycling centre open privately.

Cllr Downes knows the future of recycling sites at Buckden and St Neots is being reviewed. He also knows that the district council is negotiating to provide an enhanced site with easy access for those living in the St Neots area.

This, along with other local facilities, will help local people dispose of their waste. The provision of wheelie bins in most areas has also greatly contributed to the disposal of waste.

Our record is clear. The environment and the proper disposal of waste are top of our agenda. We will not be using this issue for political expediency but will continue our policy to go green to provide a clean, safe environment.

County Councillor Mrs BARBARA BODDINGTON

District Councillor RICHARD BAILEY

District Councillor RICHARD WEST