Conservatives at Wiltshire Council (WC) are to push for Alternative Weekly Collection (AWC) of household waste. 

At the Environment Select Committee meeting at Trowbridge, on Tuesday, a Tory dominated scrutiny group, which had looked at waste, had recommended AWC across Wiltshire, in their findings.

But two LibDem members on the waste group could not support their findings and wrote their own Minority Report (attached with the main report at the link). http://194.72.162.210/documents/dscgi/ds.py/Get/File-24226/Item_No._09_-_Waste_Scrutiny_Task_Group_Final_Report.doc

At the meeting on Tuesday, the LibDems, moved that the Minority Report be accepted by the main Environment Select Committee.  A few ‘rebel’ Tories also supported that Motion, which was then accepted by the Committee.  This effectively rejected the waste review groups recommendations of AWC.

The Tory Cabinet member was present, Cllr Sturgis, who tried to say that cardboard & plastic would be rolled out across Wiltshire within 5 years and that this Committee should “Just endorse” the waste groups recommendations! I reminded him that this Committee did NOT have to do that and that is what happened.  The Conservatives are in turmoil.

I spoke very strongly against the AWC proposal, which Cllr Sturgis supports (because it saves WC money!).

I stated strongly that south Wiltshire already had cardboard & plastic collection and that his proposal would be a detrimental cut to waste collection services in south Wiltshire.

However, Cllr Sturgis and his Conservative councillors will have the final say in bringing in AWC across Wiltshire, after their ‘public consultation’.  This will be a huge cut in services received by householders in south Wiltshire if this comes in.  north Wiltshire also has weekly collections, like south Wiltshire.

If you wish to write to Cllr Sturgis, objecting (or supporting) AWC, then his email is: toby.sturgis@wiltshire.gov.uk