I would like to make some observations about recent letters concerning underground refuse containers.

Our forebears were masters of utilising the valuable space below street level as can be seen in the cellars in most good-quality Victorian houses.

Why have we lost the habit of making use of underground opportunities? In our crowded city, we must seek to reduce clutter and obstructions on the street by making use of the possibilities under our feet.

As Mr Sinnot (Letters, May 4) points out, there are problems to address but these are not insurmountable. Such a system already exists in Dordrecht, Netherlands.

Readers should be aware the supplier of Brighton and Hove's contentious communal bins also manufactures the type of storage and subterranean collection apparatus which has been discussed.

This solution may cost an estimated £8,000-£16,000 per installation, depending on the location, but this can be recovered by better productivity and two-minute collection times.

This system should be part of a comprehensive evaluation of the city's refuse collection. The question for residents of Brighton and Hove is: Has this evaluation taken place?

-Colin Bennett, Hove