ACCORDING to the chief finance officer Adam Richins of BCP Council, Christchurch residents benefited from the merger in regards to council tax. (letters 30th January) I wonder what those benefits are.

As I understood the plan at the time, council tax in Christchurch would be frozen for three years.

The reason being that we were paying higher council tax than Poole and Bournemouth. the freeze was to allow Poole and Bournemouth Tax increase to be implemented in stages until it matched Christchurch.

I would also remind the BCP that some 84% of Christchurch residents voted against the merger. A democratic vote that was ignored in the end.

Our town has not had any visual benefit as far as I can see. Christchurch was always a clean and well maintained Borough before the takeover.

Now unfortunately it has become as scruffy and uninviting as Bournemouth.

I can say that I have never had or seen a reminder from Mr Ritchens.

Brian Worthy

Treeside

Highcliffe