Cheshire West and Chester Council has today, 29 March 2022, confirmed that additional scrutiny will take place around its decision to implement charges for the disposal of some waste at Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC) sites across the Borough, following a formal Notice request by six Conservative Councillors raising concerns on behalf of residents.
The Places Scrutiny Committee of the Council will now review the evidence and options for introducing charges at HWRCs at a meeting on 11 April 2022. Until the scrutiny recommendations can be properly considered, no charges will be applied to residents delivering waste from home improvements or repair and alterations to homes or domestic properties. Signage displaying information has been removed from HWRCs and the Council’s website has been updated until further notice.
Commenting, Leader of the Conservative Group, Cllr Margaret Parker, said:
“Conservative councillors welcome the decision to undertake additional scrutiny on the controversial implementation of these new charges. Indeed, this has come about as a direct result of representations we made which included the option of holding a Special Council Meeting to look at the position in more detail. The request of six members of our Group was withdrawn when agreement in principle was secured for the Places Scrutiny Committee to review the evidence and options. We look forward to a thorough process on 11 April and to seeing any recommendations that emerge from the work of the Committee.”
Cllr Simon Eardley, Shadow Cabinet Member for the Environment, added:
“As soon as these new charges for the disposal of some waste were announced, many residents have raised their concerns with us direct. It is not in the gift of Conservative councillors – who have opposed the introduction of the ruling Labour administrations Waste Strategy at every opportunity – to single-handedly reverse this decision. We can, and we will, participate fully in this chance to look at the decision more thoroughly and ask detailed questions about it. At a time when so many are facing increased costs from the introduction of the green bin charge, another maximum council tax rise from April and other household cost pressures, as well as increased flytipping rates across the borough, we’ll need some convincing that this is an appropriate new set of charges to burden taxpayers with.”
The Conservative Councillors who signed the original Notice calling for a Special Meeting of Council were drawn from across the borough: Cllr Simon Eardley (Saughall and Mollington), Cllr Jill Houlbrook (Upton), Cllr Charles Fifield (Weaver and Cuddington), Cllr Helen Weltman (Davenham, Moulton and Kingsmead), Cllr Mike Baynham (Winsford Over and Verdin) and Cllr Lynn Riley (Frodsham).
There is an opportunity for members of the public to address the meeting of the Places Scrutiny Committee (or watch its proceedings). Those wishing to do so should visit the following website for more details: https://cmttpublic.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CId=1017&Year=0
