I would like to make my position clear, following recent reports in the Mercury on rubbish collections. I consider it irresponsible and dishonest of the Conservatives to distribute leaflets stating “No to fortnightly rubbish collections” at the May elections, when now, less than 6 months later, they are putting it forward as an option from 2010.

As a Liberal Democrat I have never been in favour of fortnightly collections. But I recognise that it has to be looked at and costed when the Council faces fines of £150 per tonne from 2010 onwards, for putting more rubbish into landfill than allowed.

North Somerset Council’s Environmental Services panel will look at all options for avoiding these fines and make recommendations for the new waste contracts to be let in 2010.

In the end the whole Council will award the new waste contracts in 2009, which may or may not include controversial options such as fortnightly collections, limiting the amount of waste each household can put out, charging by weight of rubbish, insisting that recyclable items go in the green box rather than in with rubbish and collecting food waste weekly.

Let us hope that the more controversial options will not be necessary.

Yours sincerely

Deborah Yamanaka

Lib Dem Group Leader & Chair of NS Environmental Services Scrutiny Panel

published by: North Somerset Liberal Democrats, 12 Henley Lodge, Yatton, Bristol, BS49 4JQ

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