LIBERAL Democrat councillors at Warrington have accused the ruling Labour group of “arrogance” over the way they intend to impose bi-weekly collections of black bins on the public.
Cllr Ian Marks (pictured), leader of the Lib Dem group on the borough council said: “Attitudes to recycling have moved on a great deal in the last few years and these days many people have very little in their black bins, whereas their blue bins are full.
“We can understand why Labour is looking at moving to black bin collections every other week, especially when there are substantial savings to be made.
“But we are not happy about the way they are going about this. They appear to be imposing the change on the public without proper consultation. Their questionnaire does little more than ask people what problems they would have. This is typical Labour arrogance.
“They need to sell the scheme to those areas where there are much lower levels of recycling. This education task should not be underestimated. They need to concentrate on food waste in particular.
“Labour needs to do something about their recycling rate, which seems to have got stuck at around 43 per cent for a few years.
“When we were in power we were very proud of the dramatic increases we achieved. They need to be far more ambitious with their target because an increase to only 55 per cent in 2020 is rather pathetic.
“But Labour is right to ignore the advice of Government Minister Eric Pickles who seems to have this unhealthy obsession with weekly collections when he should be leaving it to local people to decide.”
Labour arrogance over bin collections
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
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This whole ‘sound bite’ article appears to be more than arrogant in its approach.
It ignores all the preparatory work that has been going for example the active on going and successful hard work to promote the use of BLUE BINS and recycling (in the areas that Cllr Marks says has not taken place!) as well as the ‘Love where you Live campaign’.
Then there is the forthcoming promotional work in the New Year such as ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ and real nappies along with much more.
You should not take a promotional press release at face value but go out on the streets and schools to see and hear about what has been done this year alone.
Cllr Marks can’t bring himself to support what his own administration didn’t have the bottle to do – it’s just more shameful posturing from a lame duck past leader! Fortnightly collections make sense – why are we paying to empty half-empty bins every week?
ooooooh Mr Settle. Does the truth hurt?
A touch of arrogance there yourself.
Just what percentage of the residents does the afore-mentioned promotions reach? 1% or maybe 2%?
Thousands of leaflets get printed and left in areas where the public visit, but at the end of the day, they don’t get taken home. AND it is the usual attendees that hear about these things, not the majority. None of your promos are going to stop black bins getting filled with recyclable rubbish that at any other time would be put in Blue bins. This could be the issue that turns voters against Labour. We will see.
Nice to see you haven’t hibernated with the voles Geoff, have you anything to say about the abysmal situation in the Planning Department? BTW what does “beyond arrogance” actually mean?
Eagle for planning comments see the CEO’s video with Gary above, I don’t think I need to add anything.
Hi Silver Surfer – this was mentioned at yesterday’s Climate Change Board meeting of which I am a member – I will be keen to see that it does not go the way that you predict.
No change there then Geoff, that’s two of you holding the whitewash brush.
Climate Change Board Meeting……. for heavens sake Geoff, when are you tree huggers going to get real? This is Warrington, not Kiyoto….. take yourselves off to China and India and get them to cut a few things out of their emissions before you start here. and as for bin collections; are you going to reduce the council tax to cover the LOSS OF SERVICE? maybe half the workforce because if they are only doing half as many rounds a year you won’t need that many collectors and wagons surely…. or is there another twist up the sleeve?
“LIBERAL Democrat councillors at Warrington have accused the ruling Labour group of “arrogance” further quote from Ian Marks; “… we are not happy about the way they are going about this. They appear to be imposing the change on the public without proper consultation.” HO! HO! HO! JOKE OF THE YEAR! There has never in the history of this town been more arrogance and lack of public consultation than when Ian Marks and his Executive board went behind closed doors to negotiate the sell off /give away of Walton Hall and Gardens! He includes another revealing little gem; “They need to sell the scheme to those areas where there are much lower levels of recycling.” what typical Lib Dem condescension!
As he’s said – he agrees with the change to bi-weekly collections, so this most obvious political posturing does nothing other than make him look “rather pathetic!”
I think there’s a lot more than two of them holding the whitewash brush Eagle! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Sha – There’s more than a hint of arrogance in what Prof Broomhead said while he and many others were sploshing on the obliterating white. That brush, more like a roller, is being wielded by quite a few people, all a bit shy of coming clean. Did I hear him correctly “Council decisions are team decisions…the Councillors make the decisions based on advice from officers”? Even the senior officers took no part in the Bridge Foot fiasco and the junior ones told no one what they had planned – apparently. No wonder the Prof’s very thorough investigation spread the blame widely so there was the usual lack of clarity across the chain of responsibility. They all like the renumeration of office but run like hell from the responsibility.
Tina, you say “There’s more than a hint of arrogance in what Prof Broomhead said….” I agree – there usually is! Arrogance seems to be a trait shared by a number of senior officers and a number senior councillors – whatever political bias they have seems to be irrelevant in this regard. However, I think Ian Marks particular brand of arrogance and condescension is notably nauseating – perhaps it’s because of the hypocrisy that tends to go with it ?