IN REFERENCE to your article "First fines issued for overflowing bins in Southampton" (Echo, August 21).
First, in their 2014 election manifesto, Southampton Labour councillors said they would "keep weekly bin collections". Second, all Labour councillors voted in February 2017 to cut residents' bins to fortnightly. The Labour council then refused larger bins for residents who contacted me.
In the final insult, Southampton Labour councillors have now fined residents for overflowing bins.
Is it any wonder that Southampton businesses such as DP World and ABP, and residents too, are suspicious of Labour's proposals for a clean air zone?
And that it could well be business workers and residents who continue to suffer polluted air and have to pay for it as well, despite Labour's denials that they won't charge private cars?
I have confirmed with council officers that the Labour council would not need to consult the public again if they wanted to charge private cars. So who, or what, will stop them, given them going back on their word about bins?
Both issues are about our environment. Past performance predicts future failure.
It's a question of trust.
Councillor Andrew Pope
Southampton Independents councillor for Redbridge
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