WHAT a lovely happy picture of Poole councillors opening Seldown Park (Daily Echo, May 1), or more correctly just paths to the Dolphin baths.

And was £250,000 of community funds spent wisely at times of severe cut backs? I think not.

Then the same council are forcing householders of Poole to pay £21.70 extra for the collection of garden waste to save it going onto landfill, but why?

Poole’s ‘Statement of Accounts’ page 50, states they have an allowance of 31,893 tonnes, but their estimated usage is only 27,794 tonnes (they have an excellent system for recycling that includes garden waste) so there is spare capacity.

Why are we forced to pay?

When Poole council receive the full annual payment of £31, there will be nearly £800,000 over costs.

Will this go towards the extra 30 per cent (160 in the years 2010/11 from 121 2009/10) of senior council employees who receive in excess £50,000 remuneration (‘Statement of Accounts’ page 31)?

This excludes employers’ pension contributions, this at a time when all other workers have a wage freeze.

If Poole council still has ‘community funds’ available, would they please request the Rt Hon Eric Pickles if they can have special dispensation to spend it on green bins so everyone (even poor pensioners) can have garden waste picked up free and not spend another quarter of a million on a couple of dirty paths to call it a garden.

KEN ADAMS Glen Road, Parkstone, Poole