THE cost £6.50 per household to give people in Blackburn and Darwen the standard of gritting they would like roughly equates to the cost of councillors per household.

Given that councillors no longer have a viable function in the new set-up, then maybe a poll should be conducted on whether people want their streets gritted or continue to pay gratuities to superfluous councillors.

L LAWES, Bold Street, Blackburn.