REGARDING the article in the Daily Echo on Thursday, October 30, headed “Four per cent council fees hike slammed as outrageous”.

This policy has been a part of this Lib Dem administration for years and as Cllr Godfrey Olson pointed out: “The council was using excessive charges as a way to balance the books”.

I have been commenting through the Daily Echo letters pages and directly with Cllr House over what I call stealth taxes and the council tax costs since March 2007. His reply was as a full-time politician, where he choose not to answer most of the points raised.

As for Cllr House’s statement that charges were for things people choose to have – how ludicrous when increases over the years have included burial charges, waste disposal, pest control and many other services over and above those listed in the article.

And as for his claim that council tax in Eastleigh has seen the lowest increase of any council for ten years, then why is it Eastleigh borough residents have been paying more than other local councils for at least the past 13 years?

KEN WELLSTOOD, Eastleigh.