YOUR front page article in the WARRINGTON GUARDIAN of February 6 predicts an expansion of the import of rubbish from the Greater Manchester and Merseyside conurbations and I would condemn any such proposals.

My family moved to Penketh from Westbrook in 1994 and have noticed an increase in air borne pollution in the last three years. It is "alleged" that the problems are being caused by the Arpley landfill site and we have seen many reports in the GUARDIAN of the Environmental Health Department's investigations but the problem continues unabated.

Your paper has mounted two successful campaigns recently with the Barlow Mow and Apollo Bingo/Theatre proposals. Can you now bring our political leaders to their senses?

I am sick and tired of having to apologise to visitors' complaints about the smell from Arpley. Are our political leaders immune to the problems of air pollution? The blame lies fair and square at their door for the current problems and the often reported increases in asthmatic children etc. There is little point blaming traffic pollution as the only cause as clearly there is an ever increasing amount of rubbish going into Arpley each day.

We were hoping that once the current Arpley landfill site was full we would see an end to the problems but that hope now seems to have been dashed.

Finally, three questions: How much does each lorry load of filth generate toward reducing the council tax charge in Warrington and is that price worth paying, also how is the cargo measured to ensure that all reasonable steps to recycle/incinerate as much of the load as possible have been taken?

K. J. FARRELL,

Broad Oak Avenue,

Penketh

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.