|
|
 |
Recycling, Waste Disposal and Landfill
|
The Liberal Democrats believe in maximizing recycling and minimizing landfill. When we took control of the Council in 1993 recycling was at a pitiful level of around 2%. We increased it eightfold. The Tories have only managed a small further increase since 2000.
Locally, the Conservatives show little commitment to recycling – what interest they do have seems to be driven by the need to avoid landfill tax rather than principle. Indeed, they recently abolished the Cabinet post responsible for the Environment. In reality, the economic case for recycling is overwhelming in its own right even without any environmental case. Although, in practice, that case is pretty overwhelming too.
A Lib Dem controlled AVDC would:
Press ahead with the introduction of roadside collection of cardboard and compostable materials. The current Council has been moving very slowly towards this. They have run a so called trial in Winslow. ‘So called’ because ‘trial’ implies that options are being tested and evaluated. In fact all that is happening is that the scheme is being launched at a snail’s pace, there is no meaningful evaluation and alternatives are not being tested at all.
Keep weekly collection of food waste. There are increasing doubts about the healthiness of fortnightly collection (as used in the trial) of so called putrescibles and there are plenty of options available which avoid it.
Promote recycling from business premises. The Tory controlled District and County Councils make it impossibly hard for businesses to recycle - for instance by restricting them at tips and banning them at ‘bring sites’. Of course, Councils have to avoid unnecessary costs and operate commercially but the current position is insane. Even Aylesbury Conservative Club felt the need to write to the Bucks Herald about the absurdity of their Council’s position. Whilst the Council clearly should not be disposing things like builders’ merchants’ redundant hard core free, many businesses want to recycle paper that is of a far higher quality than domestic waste paper and the Council should be helping them.
Investigate and improve the terms and performance of the contract for emptying containers at ‘bring’ sites. Anyone using the ‘bring sites’ at Bedgrove Park, Aylesbury Tesco and numerous other locations is likely to become very frustrated by arriving to find the containers full. This does not encourage recycling and is wholly unacceptable. Of course usage fluctuates but not to the extent that it is impossible to empty containers before they are full most of the time.
“Incineration”
The County Council is currently investigating the installation of ‘incineration equipment’ in Bucks as the only way to dramatically reduce landfill. We accept that landfill must, indeed, be drastically reduced and that the modern generation of incineration (energy from waste) plants are very different from earlier generations – being cleaner and safer. Whilst there investigative work on alternatives that could be pursued further, this new technology will probably be introduced in Bucks and one site is almost certainly destined for Aylesbury Vale.
We will lobby for any incineration plants to be sited according to the following principles:
• The site must be near a major road [to avoid heavy vehicles traveling through residential areas]
• The site must be remote from any significant amount of residential property.
• The site must be large enough to cope with future growth and development.
Because of the facilities already there, two frequently mentioned sites are Calvert and Rabans Lane. Calvert clearly fails the first two tests. Rabans Lane, the last two and possibly the first with respect to traffic through Coldharbour. There are more appropriate sites in the District and we would oppose the use of either of these locations.
|
| Back to main policy briefing page |
|
