Michael Heavey (Oxford Mail, January 29) is mistaken to think that money is saved with the alternate week collections of refuse and recyclables in the city.
We are now doing two rounds every week, just collecting different materials each time.
As we have extended the range of recyclables, we have had to increase staff and vehicles slightly, not reduce them, but we are now recycling more than twice as much as before. This reduces what we send to landfill and hence reduces both our damage to the environment and the risk of fines for exceeding our landfill allowances.
We are tackling the illegal street traders as best we can, in the absence of the required extra resources and of the Act of Parliament which would cost £50,000 to ban pedlars altogether in the city.
The council has now decided to increase the fees for legal street traders, to bring in enough money to fund full-time cover, seven days a week.
It is hoped that it may be possible to fund an Act, and OX1, the city centre management company, has suggested it may be able to help find the necessary funds.
Your report (Oxford Mail, January 30) showed the progress we are making in discouraging illegal street trading in the city.
Government grant is far from generous and the aim of the Liberal Democrat administration is to keep council tax rises as low as possible while delivering good services to the public.
Both refuse collection and street trading enforcement are improving within our means.
JEAN FOOKS Executive member for a cleaner city Oxford City Council
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