The Member of Parliament for Burton and Uttoxeter, Kate Kniveton, has joined Conservative councillors in criticising Labour-run East Staffordshire Borough Council for introducing plans to charge for brown bin collections.
In February, the Labour Administration told Council that any decision on introducing a charge on green waste would be a matter for next year. However, under plans put forward at Full Council on Monday 18th March, a brown bin tax would be introduced as early as October 2024.
Conservative Councillors, including Cllr George Allen, have raised issues about charging residents more at a time with cost-of-living concerns and the possible increase in fly-tipping this policy may cause.
These plans come shortly after the Labour Council decided to increase parking charges by 35% and scrap the popular ‘free after 3pm’ scheme. The administration has also made clear its intentions to establish its own energy company, something Nottingham City Council tried and failed to do resulting in the local authority going bust and costing residents millions.
In opposition to the new tax, Kate Kniveton MP and Conservative councillors are backing Burton resident John Anderson who have launched a petition against the bin charge and are encouraging other residents to sign it to have their say on the Council’s plans.
Residents can sign the petition online: www.change.org/p/east-staffordshire-brown-bin-emptying-charges.
Commenting, Kate Kniveton MP said:
“The phrase, when Labour is in charge of something, they run it badly, could not ring truer for ESBC. Having implemented the unpopular and harmful car parking charge increases, they now have their sights set on introducing a new garden waste tax.
“Less than 12 months into running the town hall and Labour appear to be just looking for new ways to tax residents and businesses. Given the chance, we know they would do the same in Government too.
“I would urge residents to sign the petition against this new tax and to take a stand against the Council’s disregard towards local opinion.”
ESBC Conservative Group Leader, Cllr George Allen added:
“Not content with scrapping free parking, Labour Councillors at ESBC are now intending to introduce charges for garden waste collections.
“My Conservative colleagues and I challenged them on these plans recently and was promised they would consult with residents first. Despite this promise, Labour now has a target to bring in brown bin subscriptions from October this year.
“Conservatives stopped them introducing this charge in 2014, and we will be fighting again to keep bin collections free locally.”
