Tory 'Change of Heart' on Recycling?

10.44.24am GMT Thu 26th Jan 2006

'Have the Conservatives had a change of heart on kerbside collection of plastics for recycling?' That was the question posed by Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Cllr Liz Hogger at last night's meeting of the Borough Council's Environment Scrutiny Committee. Last December, the Council's Conservative Executive nodded through the Recycling Action Plan which proposed borough-wide kerbside collection of plastic introduced in 2008/9. They rejected a Lib Dem proposal to start this in March 2007. Yet the latest budget projection suggests funding for borough-wide kerbside collection of plastic starting in April 2007.

Questioning the budget proposals at the Scrutiny Committee meeting, Cllr Hogger said "Have the Conservatives had a change of heart on plastics recycling? Last year they rejected our proposal for borough-wide collection starting in March 2007. Yet now they've put borough-wide collection starting in April 2007 on their 'wish list' for funding. I'd be happy with the one-month delay, if they decide to go along with our suggestion after all!"

The Conservative Lead Member Cllr Jenny Wicks denied a change of heart, but failed to explain the contradiction.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Hogger said "In February last year the Lib Dems proposed a trial scheme for collecting plastic in Merrow and Burpham starting in December 2005. The Tories rejected that, but did a U-turn three months later and the trial is now due to start in March. Let's hope for a similar U-turn on a borough-wide scheme! Residents outside the trial area don't want to wait two years for plastic collection to reach their area. With recycling rates in the doldrums, we really need the boost collecting plastics can give."