HAVING once again waited just over 20 minutes parked in Crowndale Road at 9.30am on a weekday morning, waiting for traffic from Tavistock to run into the back of me, I would like to nominate the Crowndale Recycling Centre for the 'Worst Run Tip in the UK' award.

Over the last 40 years, I have lived in many different areas of the country and experienced the service available from many tips. Those sited in hilly areas have utilised the sloping area to enable sorted waste to be tipped directly into large lorry skips and those in flat areas have constructed tarmac ramps for vehicles to drive up to achieve the same aim.

Only in Tavistock have I seen the ludicrous and inefficient scooping of waste into skips from random piles of dubiously segregated rubbish, necessitating repeated temporary closure of the whole facility!

Maybe the overpaid public sector employee responsible for this poor design and general incompetence should tear himself away from his cosy office at Devon County Council and visit some well organised tips, starting with, perhaps, Plymouth?

Peter Kelsey

Meadowbrook

Tavistock

YOU kindly published my letter (March 31) regarding the introduction of the 'Tory tip tax' whereby we are now charged £2 a bag for any rubble and DIY waste we take to Crowndale recycling centre.

It gives me no pleasure to say 'I told you so' but we are, quite predictably, now seeing an increase in fly-tipping across the county. Indeed it was reported by the BBC today (May 12) that the police have been called to deal with a dispute over charges at the Newton Abbot recycling centre.

I have no doubt that Cllr Debo Sellis is referring to my letter when she complains (Letters, May 12) of inaccurate information about a time limit on emptying one's car at the tip. Don't shoot the messenger, Debo! I only reported what we were told by staff at Crowndale.

Instead of directing her wrath at taxpayers, I suggest that Cllr Sellis persuades her Conservative colleagues at Devon County Council of the utter folly of charging private householders to dispose of any type of recycling in a responsible manner. They work for us, remember — not the other way round.

Ann Keelan

Whitchurch Road

Tavistock