BRIAN ROGERS asks why if recycling was ‘sold’ as saving money, council tax has risen since its introduction.

City of York Council has a strategic objective to deliver effective and efficient waste-management services, which includes diverting as much waste as possible from landfill by increasing reuse, recycling and composting.

For every tonne of waste segregated for recycling there is a cost saving of £80.

However, not all households recycle, so the council is working to increase participation in kerbside recycling.

Council-tax charges provide for a wide range of services including the growing costs of adult social care – this year its costs will exceed council-tax collection – which recent increases have paid for.

York’s difficulty, like other councils, is its revenue funding cuts from the Conservative Liberal Democrat Coalition – cuts of nearly £70m since 2010 – while encouraging capital investment for infrastructure works.

With regards to Kettering, for 2014/15 the county and borough councils had smaller cuts in government funding than York.

Kettering Band D is £1,451 (county council £1,048.57, Kettering Borough £205.39, police and fire £197.04,). On top are parish council charges compared with City of York Band D of £1,437.49(CYC £1,165.54, police and fire £271.95).

Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing, Deputy Leader, City of York Council.