COUNCILLORS at Warrington are spending too long debating national affairs at the expense of local issues.
That’s the view of Birchwood Conservative Cllr Nigel Balding after the last two council meetings lasted more than fours, not finishing until well after 10pm.
He pointed out that senior council officers were having to sit through the long debates.
Cllr Balding, Opposition spokesman for leisure and communities, was commenting after a lengthy debate at the last full council meeting on a Labour motion that Warrington Borough Council should write to Secretary of State for the Environment George Eustice urging him to accept amendments to the Environment Bill 2021 suggested by the House of Lords.
During the debate, Conservative councillors urged members of other parties to use the limited time available at council meetings to debate local issues.
They suggested councillors could contact Government ministers or their own MPs directly when they wanted to influence national policy.
Cllr Balding said the borough council should focus on its own responsibilities to look after and improve the environment in Warrington.
He urged the council to improve recycling rates which were below target, improve the monitoring of air quality and plant more trees.
He said: “We can do more to increase biodiversity and tree planting. It’s something we can all push for in our wards. For example, in Birchwood most residents want sites used for unauthorised traveller encampments to be landscaped and trees planted, but instead the council is responding with massive concrete blocks followed by planting dead wooden posts, all with negative environmental value and probably at greater expense.
“But, overall, I can’t bring myself to oppose writing a letter to the Secretary of State. The motion is well meant and I want to work with all councillors on the issues of climate change and the environment.”
