The question of how Oxfordshire manages its waste in the future is an important one for all residents of the county.

Collectively, we have to ensure that far less waste is sent to landfill than is the case currently.

This is for good environmental reasons, not least that landfilling waste creates large quantities of methane, a major greenhouse gas.

But it is also important for us as council taxpayers: unless we send less to landfill, there will be hefty fines to pay.

For all these reasons we need good, open debate about the options open to us, in which the media has a significant part to play. Unfortunately, Giles Sheldrick's recent story (Oxford Mail, September 7), under the heading, "Burning Issue Wins Support", generates more heat than light, and is seriously misleading. For the record, the county council has taken no decision on what waste treatment methods it may use in future.

The cabinet meeting on 6 September explicitly decided that combined heat and power should be one -- but only one -- option to be considered for the future management of Oxfordshire's waste.

The county council's main aim is to work with Oxfordshire residents to do even more to minimise the amount of waste we create, and to recycle where that is not possible.

So far, we have had some success -- Oxfordshire produces less waste per head than any other county in the country -- but there is plenty more to do. Chris Cousins, Head of Sustainable Development, Oxfordshire County Council, County Hall, New Road, Oxford