Next week (February 2 to 8), whether we like it or not, Redbridge Council intends to dump seven thousand unpopular and unsightly wheelie bins on unfortunate households in Wanstead and other parts of the borough, forcing them to give up their present, relatively discreet dustbins.

Those of us in terraced houses, with no easy access to the back, will have no choice but to park these large new wheelies in the front garden. The result, sadly, is that more and more of our streets will appear scruffy and run down.

Though this action is being billed as a 'pilot' scheme, the clear intention is that these bins will eventually be imposed on the whole borough. The council boasts that they will encourage recycling, keep our streets cleaner and save money, but not one of these claims stands up to scrutiny.

Encourage recycling? How can that be achieved, when there are no plans to change the present system of recycle boxes?

Cleaner streets? The council says wheelies will prevent foxes and other scavengers from ripping open plastic rubbish sacks. But that claim makes little sense, since every house in my area has a dustbin with a tight-fitting lid. And what if some properties aren't suitable for wheelie bins? No problem, says the council. Their secure dustbins will be replaced by fox-friendly rubbish sacks instead. Brilliant!

Then we come to the most implausible excuse of all, the claim that wheelies will save money. Really? But how much has already been spent on this pilot? What's the capital cost of wheelies for the whole borough, once this scheme has been judged a success? (Which it probably will be, unless we make our feelings known.) What's the cost of the new vehicles that will eventually be needed? The truth is that claims of 'savings' are merely a guesstimate - unless, of course, the ultimate aim is a radical reduction in the frequency of rubbish collection.

There's the rub Even if the council has no plans to reduce our weekly collection to once a fortnight, this scheme makes such a scheme possible. That, after all is what has happened in other council areas all over the country. My fear is that if we don't object now, we may live to regret it.

Michael Toner

Addison Road, Wanstead