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Labour hints at bin collection rethink
6:53pm Sunday 25th November 2007
Labour has hinted at a return to weekly waste collections if it wins control of Oxford City Council in May's elections.
Last night, the group said it would consider switching from the current fortnightly arrangement if it gained control from the Liberal Democrats.
Currently, the Lib Dems run a minority administration with 16 councillors.
Labour has 19 seats, the Greens seven, the Independent Working Class Association four and Conservatives two.
Half the city council's 48 wards are up for grabs in May.
The concept of wheelie bin-style rubbish rounds was a Labour idea, but it was introduced by the Lib Dems.
And since November last year, debate has raged across the city as to how waste should be collected.
Labour group leader Bob Price: "We're open minded. It would depend on the finances and we don't want to undermine the success of the recycling drive.
"The evidence seems to be there is a reduction in the amount recycled if you go back to weekly collections.
"We recognise that on the doorsteps there is a call for a return to weekly collections in many parts of the city.
"It's clearly something any administration has to be looking at as part of the overall analysis of what would provide the best service for the city.
"But the financial question is the paramount one - we couldn't do anything that would make the situation worse."
Recycling rates have risen since fortnightly collections started in November last year.
Kathy Barber, 65, of Aston Street, said: "Inner city areas are different from the rest of the county so I'd welcome a return - it's what we need.
"People are behind the recycling, it's just the collection of rubbish - we can't store any more bins."
Justin Walden, from East Oxford, added: "The scheme isn't working as far as I'm concerned and feel the council doesn't listen."
The city's new waste collection arrangements cost £2.1m to implement.
Councillor Jean Fooks, responsible for the scheme, said the city council would introduce a pilot scheme next year where food waste would be picked up from doorsteps on a weekly basis in some parts of the city.
She added: "I think we're beyond the point of no return and most people are actually happy with the scheme. The pilot scheme next year will not cost as much as returning to weekly collections."
Your Say YourOxford
Tony Brett, Oxford says...
11:05pm Sun 25 Nov 07
The Government sets the recycling targets (levying HUGE fines if they are not met) and also sets the amount of money local authorities are allowed to spend. Jean, the Lib Dems, Labour, or anyone else for that matter, has little or no discretion on this.
Would people prefer something ridiculous like all leisure facilities closed so that the City could afford to do weekly collections? I think not.
I'm sure Labour would CONSIDER switching back to weekly collections and I'm sure Jean Fooks has CONSIDERED it too but Bob Price knows as well as she does that the sums just don't add up.
Roger Moreton, East Oxford says...
11:11pm Sun 25 Nov 07
It isn't exactly a luxury to have the rubbish taken away from overcrowded streets, or at least, not in other cities or in the last century. What makes Oxford in 2007 so different ?
GJS, Oxford says...
1:49am Mon 26 Nov 07
Tony Brett wrote:Perhaps if they stopped paying you councillers such high wages then they could go back to weekly collections, without closing leisure facilities and meking the taxpayers suffer even more. Haven't you ever thought of that, Mr Brett?
Having weekly collections as well as staying at the recycling targets the City HAS to meet is just not financially viable. How many times does this have to be repeated? The Government sets the recycling targets (levying HUGE fines if they are not met) and also sets the amount of money local authorities are allowed to spend. Jean, the Lib Dems, Labour, or anyone else for that matter, has little or no discretion on this. Would people prefer something ridiculous like all leisure facilities closed so that the City could afford to do weekly collections? I think not. I'm sure Labour would CONSIDER switching back to weekly collections and I'm sure Jean Fooks has CONSIDERED it too but Bob Price knows as well as she does that the sums just don't add up.
Matthew, Oxford says...
8:00am Mon 26 Nov 07
Having weekly collections as well as staying at the recycling targets the City HAS to meet is just not financially viable. How many times does this have to be repeated?
Please explain ! How would weekly collections result in less rubbish !
Jane Anderson, N. Oxford says...
8:10am Mon 26 Nov 07
Andy, says...
12:12pm Mon 26 Nov 07
Messy Oxford, Gum and Litter says...
2:14pm Mon 26 Nov 07
John, Osney says...
2:16pm Mon 26 Nov 07
As long as central governement takes more and more power to itself and micro manages everything from a Whitehall office -there really is no hope of common sense ever prevailing.
Never forget that our "new" PM is the most centralist PM ever!
Tony Brett, Oxford says...
4:17pm Mon 26 Nov 07
GJS wrote:I'm not a councillor and when I was my allowance was about £3000 per year. Not enough even to rent a garage in Oxford!
Tony Brett wrote:Perhaps if they stopped paying you councillers such high wages then they could go back to weekly collections, without closing leisure facilities and meking the taxpayers suffer even more. Haven\\\'t you ever thought of that, Mr Brett?
Having weekly collections as well as staying at the recycling targets the City HAS to meet is just not financially viable. How many times does this have to be repeated? The Government sets the recycling targets (levying HUGE fines if they are not met) and also sets the amount of money local authorities are allowed to spend. Jean, the Lib Dems, Labour, or anyone else for that matter, has little or no discretion on this. Would people prefer something ridiculous like all leisure facilities closed so that the City could afford to do weekly collections? I think not. I\\\'m sure Labour would CONSIDER switching back to weekly collections and I\\\'m sure Jean Fooks has CONSIDERED it too but Bob Price knows as well as she does that the sums just don\\\'t add up.
Matthew, Oxford says...
8:36pm Mon 26 Nov 07
Having weekly collections as well as staying at the recycling targets the City HAS to meet is just not financially viable. How many times does this have to be repeated?
Please explain ! How would weekly collections result in less rubbish !
Mr Brett I asked you to explain the above, seriously I am interested.
Gordon Hickley, Potters Bar says...
11:36am Tue 27 Nov 07
Peter, Oxford says...
6:39pm Tue 27 Nov 07
Having weekly collections as well as staying at the recycling targets the City HAS to meet is just not financially viable. How many times does this have to be repeated?
Please explain ! How would weekly collections result in less rubbish !
Mr Brett I asked you to explain the above, seriously I am interested.
MR Brett surely you are not stuck for words because you can't in fact justify your statements.
I'm not a councillor and when I was my allowance was about £3000 per year. Not enough even to rent a garage in Oxford!
Not a bad whack for attending a few meetings and drinking tea and biscuits at our expense.
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Roger Moreton, East Oxford says...
9:16pm Sun 25 Nov 07
It wouldn't be unfair, because it must be much more expensive to do North Oxford per household than East Oxford per household already -- on the cost of petrol alone.
Very many people have had enough of Jean Fooks, and in practice the Greens do not seem to care about our local environment any more. I hope that Labour wins control in May and introduces a well-planned and affordable scheme to improve things where this is necessary.