Why we need a Fair Deal for Housing and Communities
Ian Shires
Liberal DEMOCRAT Activist Learn more
Government childcare announcement: More Conservative chaos hurting families
The case for a radical, liberal left
Why we need a Fair Deal for Housing and Communities
Government childcare announcement: More Conservative chaos hurting families
The case for a radical, liberal left
Tory run Walsall Council’s Rubbish Service
by Ian Shires on 1 September, 2015
During August Walsall Council has been carrying out a consultation about how you would want your fortnightly rubbish collection to be run.
Hang on a minute, do you recall at the May elections the Tories (who run the Council thanks to the support of the Kippers and 3 Independents) saying anything about only emptying your grey bins once a fortnight? No neither do we.
Now call me cynical if you like but carrying out a consultation during August, most people would be pre occupied with thoughts of holidays rather than filling in surveys wouldn’t they? Oh and another thing, according to the Council’s website letters concerning the survey only went out to around 10,000 houses (there’s more than 5,500 in Willenhal North alone). Of course you could have filled in the survey on line, that is if you had known about it and had a computer.
Waste collection services are perceived by residents to be the most important service they receive from a local authority. ‘Cutting the frequency of collections is an idle and unnecessary move’. Not our words these but the words contained within a recent Government Report. It is clearly possible to have a comprehensive weekly service and save money through innovative approaches to waste management. A weekly waste collection should therefore be one of the first things a local council decides to protect but not Walsall’s Tories and did they consult their UKIP and Independent friends who put them in office?
4 Comments
So much to say Ian, have I got the time.
At the election they made a big play if you remember of saving the brown bin collection as one of Labour’s ideas was of course to charge for it.
In fact this is the same plan I believe in the Labour plans, when I recieved the paper work I recognised it all.
I sent back saying wanted to charge for brown bin and keep all the others as the same as they are now. Brown bin is useful but not essential and in these times should we not be looking to protect essential services ?
Now come on Cllr we a know that this was in the Labour Budget passed in February that you supported and you certainly supported the very same labour administration after the elections. You have got to stop lying like this because you will be caught out and lose even more seats.
I have been known to vote for you and was shocked that a Tory got in what I was more shocked about was I had his post election leaflets before yours – the first time in years. Times they are a changing and your bending of the truth must be exposed.
Correction, we did not support the Labour Budget 2015/16 nor did we support the one hurriedly cobbled up between the Tories and Labour. We put forward an alternative budget which amongst other things protected the weekly collection. We did not support the Tory bid for power after the elections because it was simply that, a bid for power cobbled up between the Tories, UKIP a couple of Independents from Darlaston and Peter Smith. There was no Forward Plan, no Corporate Plan as we exposed at the July Scrutiny Panel meeting. Why would anyone want to support an administration without a PLAN? I do not bend the truth, the minutes of the meeting are there for all to see on the council’s website. With regards to getting the Tory leaflet before Focus, quite possible. We have taken time over the summer to stop and talk with many residents whilst we have been going round Willenhall North and Short Heath delivering our Focus newsletters. Time well spent. Oh and yes there was another issue, our candidate in Willenhall North suffered a serious illness which has rendered her partially paralysed. Get well soon Carol, we miss you and your families input…….
Have to say I don’t normally respond to anonymous comments but felt the need to in this case as it was so factually incorrect…..