Sir — I live in a new estate, in common with some 40 other households. Children cycle down our road to and from school, we all walk down the road when we shop or catch the bus. The postman and private contractors deliver. The access to Iffley Meads School runs through our estate. But, despite the best efforts of our elected councillors the city deems it too dangerous for its employees to venture anywhere in the vicinity of the building works at the far end of our estate.

There are also some hilarious inconsistencies. It is too dangerous to deliver recycling boxes or notices about collection dates.

The official line is that we have to carry our rubbish, unsorted, in plastic sacks to Iffley Turn.

However some households (but not all) have had recycling boxes delivered by council employees who apparently overlooked the official dangers. Some (like myself) have collected recycling boxes from the depot so that we can recycle. One resident however trying to do this was told if he used recycling boxes rather than plastic sacks, the boxes would be confiscated!

It is time for the council to relate to real life. Those who wish to recycle should be encouraged and 40 households should have a proper refuse collection.

Rhys Hedges, Oxford