Sheffield Green Party block extra Kerbside Recycling plan

4.24.04pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 12th Mar 2007

Greens blocked a plan that could have seen materials other than just paper and card recycled in Sheffield at kerbside

Cllr Simon Clement-Jones, Lib Dem Shadow Cabinet member for the Environment on the Council speaks out against the Greens who have blocked a plan for extra kerbside recycling. At the recent budget council Green councillors voted against a Lib Dem plan to spend an extra £1 million to boost kerbside recycling.

In a letter to the local press he says: -

"The local Green Party are mislead if they believe that "at present the council simply could not afford more kerbside recycling", as they have recently stated in the local media.

The fact is that our local council under Labour waste millions every year. You only have to look through the pages of the local media every week to find numerous examples.

Unlike the Greens, Liberal Democrats are committed to spending local taxpayers money on local people's priorities. That's why we put down a proposal to expand recycling facilities at the budget council a short time ago.

We proposed to spend an extra £1 million a year to improve kerbside recycling in Sheffield. Our proposal would have come in at no extra cost to the local taxpayer as it included cutting back on waste in the Town Hall. The plan would have really helped in the fight against climate change and would also have made it easier for local people to recycle.

However, we were not supported by the Labour Party, the Green Party or the Tories. They blocked our plan despite the benefits it would bring and the fact it was cost neutral.

To an extent we were not surprised by the Labour and Tory position. They offer warm words and press releases on action against climate change but little else. However, I was disappointed and surprised that the Greens voted against introducing extra kerbside recycling.

It's all very well for the Greens to pontificate about environmental issues via their leaflets and letters. But they fail to offer any real solutions or alternatives on the council. Even when they are presented with a costed plan of action they refuse to support it and vote against in the council chamber.

Its clear that whilst the Greens and others continue to talk about issues such as recycling and climate change in Sheffield, it's only the Lib Dems who are putting down sound plans for real action.

We are not interested in giving excuses for inaction. We know that action is needed now to combat climate change and that's what we will aim to deliver. I hope that the Greens will either get on board or start offering some viable alternative policies of their own"