Lib Dem Council Committed to Weekly Waste Collections

10.58.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 30th Apr 2007

Liberal Democrat Candidate for Sherington Ward, Sam Potts has received an assurance from Milton Keynes Cabinet member for the Environment, Cllr. Douglas McCall who has stated categorically that: "The Liberal Democrat run Milton Keynes Council is committed to keeping the waste collections weekly".

There has been a lot of mis-information about refuse collection in Milton Keynes since the Conservative Controlled Local Government Association (LGA) issued a press release last week which said that going to fortnightly collections would increase recycling. Residents are ringing up and asking on the door step. They are quite rightly concerned about the rumour.

"For Milton Keynes this is rubbish! Literally rubbish! And I have put the LGA press release in my recycling pink sack already. I am proud that we have insisted the Council's Waste Strategy clearly states that refuse will continue to be collected weekly.

"The LGA suggested that moving to fortnightly collections would increase recycling rates to 30%. In Milton Keynes we already recycle 36% of our waste, including compostables. We have no need, nor desire, to shift to fortnightly collections. And I would like to personally thank the residents of Milton Keynes - they are the ones who make our recycling such a success in Milton Keynes", continued Douglas McCall.

Prior to the Liberal Democrats taking control of MK Council Labour had reduced recycling rates by introducing alternate week collections of recyclables. When the Liberal Democrats took control of the Council in 2002, one of their first acts was to reverse the decline and introduce the popular pink sack weekly collection scheme. Later they introduced the green waste bins scheme and are currently trialling other schemes including insisting all new houses have a compost bin. Many of the schemes have won awards.