"Cat Out of the Bag" Over Real Reason For Fortnightly Bin Collections

11.21.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 20th Sep 2007

The leader of Stafford Borough Council's Liberal Democrat and Independent Group, Barry Stamp, says comments made at tonight's meeting of the Council's Cabinet shows the real reason fortnightly bin collections are to be introduced,

Speaking just minutes after the Council's six man Conservative run Cabinet had rubber stamped the decision to go ahead with the new bin collection contract Cllr Barry Stamp said the comments by Council Leader Judith Dalgarno had confirmed that that fortnightly bin collections were being introduced because that was all the Council could afford.

"Tonight's Cabinet meeting was nothing more than a "sham" as it just confirmed the decision to go ahead with the introduction of fortnightly bin collections had already been decided by the Conservative Group."

"While a great deal of the time was spent in describing why it was necessary to encourage residents to recycle more of their rubbish and how the introduction of the new blue recycling bin would help this to happen, little was said about the reduction in the weekly domestic bin collection service. While I certainly support the need to increase recycling I do not agree this should be done at the expense of the Council's current flagship weekly bin service."

"However, in her final remarks Judith Dalgarno let the "cat out of the bag" when she said the Cabinet wanted to keep the weekly service but the new contract was all they could afford."

"This just confirms my earlier comments that the decision to switch to fortnightly bin collections has nothing to do with trying to reach recycling targets but rather is being driven by lack of money."

"The Conservatives are twisting the truth to hide the fact from local residents they are in a financial mess. I am extremely concerned that this is just the first of many cuts the Conservatives are planning in Council services in an attempt to plug the massive hole in next years budget."

"They lied to local residents during the run up to the local elections when they said they wanted to keep weekly bin collections and tonight they have done it again by trying to hide the real reason for making the change now," said Councillor Stamp.