Keeping up the Pressure on Recycling Proposals

Lib Dem councillors are having to be vigilant in order to keep the borough council's proposals on track.

When the borough council's Environment Committee agreed in October 2007 that proposals to collect "residual" waste on a fortnightly basis would be the subject of a borough-wide consultation, Lib Dem councillors were satisfied that local residents would have the opportunity to comment before the new collection arrangements begin in spring 2009. However, at the Environment Committee meeting in March, the borough-wide consultation was nowhere to be found in the forward plan! Could the ruling Residents' Party be trying to avoid consulting all local residents on the issue? Surely not.

Cllr Nigel Pavey reminded the Chairman and Committee of its previous decision and secured agreement that a questionnaire would be included within the summer 2008 edition of Borough Insight.

Lib Dem councillors want all local residents to be aware of what fortnightly collections will mean, hence the planned questionnaire. These new fortnightly collections will begin only after all recyclable materials are being collected separately. Plastic bottles, cardboard, paper, tins, non-compostable food waste, green waste, disposable nappies, glass and textiles will all be collected from the doorstep in the new system. All that should be left in the normal green wheelie bin will be non-recyclable plastic, picked up every two weeks.

Contact Nigel or Cllr Julie Morris for further information about the plans for 2009.