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The new Labour/Conservative coalition on East Dunbartonshire Council have suffered a humiliating defeat on their “ill thought-out” refuse collection proposal at last night’s influential Policy & Resources Committee despite most opposition parties being in agreement with restoring the weekly uplift.
SNP, Lib Dem and Independent Alliance councillors claimed the coalition’s plan to bring back the weekly collection by August 27, subject to funding approval, was ill thought-out, with no provision being made in the budget for cost, no consideration being given to recycling issues, or other refuse disposal options, such as extra or bigger bins.
The Lab/Con administration’s motion was defeated by a SNP amendment which called for a strict decision making timetable on how the weekly collection would be funded and implemented for residents who require it.
The leader of the SNP, Councillor Ian Mackay, said: “It’s hard to understand why, after a month, the Labour/Conservative coalition came to the Policy and Resources committee with such an unworkable and uncosted plan to re-introduce the weekly bin collection.”
“At the last council meeting on May17, they agreed to provide fully costed proposals for this P&R meeting. However, in their actual proposal, bizarrely they asked us to accept the dire financial problems facing the council, they asked us to put aside to later, much later, the whole question of refuse collection arrangements and recycling issues which are so intertwined and financially relevant, yet they ask us to trust them to make it work.”
“The Labour/Conservative coalition administration stated that their new scheme would be rolled out on August 27, providing funding could be agreed, but they offer no ideas as to how funding could be attracted. After questioning they announced that they would call a Special Council Meeting on August 16 to discuss funding. How they will manage to lease trucks, employ staff and organise work schedules in little over a week shows a real naivety in this administration.”
“Thankfully, with the assistance of the Lib Dems and the Independent Alliance, our responsible amendment was passed to put in place an organised procedure to provide weekly bin collection for those who need it which will be properly funded, with no increase in Council Tax and will take proper account of recycling issues.”
Author : Councillor Ian Mackay, SNP Group Leader, East Dunbartonshire Council
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