AT THE recent Budget meeting of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, I proposed the removal of the charges for bulky household collections, to take effect from April this year.

The additional cost of £80,000 was to meet the loss of income of £30,000 and £50,000 to increase the level of service. The increase in service is in recognition of the increased demand that would follow the removal of all charges.

As well as removing the charges, this initiative will also remove the artificial difference for those who could place their items on the roadside and those, such as elderly, who could not. This initiative should improve the service to the community and reduce fly tipping and is, therefore, a win, win benefit.

Imagine my surprise, therefore, to find that a Labour councillor and the Labour Group Leader, Neil Moore, attempting to claim the credit for this initiative by having "called" for it.

I would like to point out to your readers that Cllr Moore was a senior member of the Labour administration who increased the charges and insisted on higher charges if the items could not be placed on the roadside. This was the same Labour administration that led to the District Auditor's intervention.

It is all too easy to try and claim credit by "calling" for it but it is a different matter to actually deliver the change, the money to pay for it and the increase of the service.

Cllr Jeffrey James (Executive Leader, Vale of Glamorgan Council)