Do our councillors have a clue?

Despite the significant changes this year in green waste collection services in Cheshire East, the council are now considering setting up a mobile recycling scheme.

The scheme is intended to alleviate the impact of the closure of three household tips in Bollington, Poynton and Middlewich.

Chair of Environment and Communities, Cllr Mick Warren said at a recent meeting: “As a mitigation to the proposed emergency closures of the three household waste recycling sites in those towns, we are proposing to offer an introduction, on a trial basis, of a mobile household waste recycling provision.”

“This trial will inform potential future options for the rollout of the mobile provision to other areas in the borough, as one element of the long-term permanent provision of household waste recycling centre services for Cheshire East.”

He continued: “Details of how a mobile service would operate remain in development, including the range of waste streams which would be collected, service availability and implementation and timescales.”

Poynton town councillor, Laurence Clarke, has suggested Cheshire East may have a hidden agenda in closing the three municipal refuse tips.

The council have said they will mothball the sites – but Counc Clarke thinks there could be plans to sell them for redevelopment.

Counc Clarke believes that closure of the tips can only lead to an increase in fly-tipping – and air pollution – and could even be avoided if Cheshire East were to scrap the £1.38m Poynton Pool reservoir works.

He, says residents across the borough had objected to the closure of the household waste recycling sites at Bollington, Poynton and Middlewich and wants to know why Cheshire East is pressing ahead with it.

Being £18.7 million in debt, Cheshire East have decided to close all three sites from April 1st as part of emergency cost-cutting measures. A final decision on their future is expected in September – once a formal review of household waste recycling centres has been completed.

Cllr Clarke said at this week’s Cheshire East Council meeting: “This proposal is very bad for the environment.”

“It will lead to less recycling, more fly-tipping, illegal dumping, increased traffic on roads as people drive to the site on the south side of Macclesfield causing air pollution, traffic congestion.”

“Cheshire East say they will mothball the site – everyone believes you’re just going to sell  it for development, a total disregard for people and the environment.”

Referring to the £1.38m Cheshire East proposal to undertake works at the Poynton Pool reservoir, Poynton campaigners argue the proposed works are based on a ‘flawed’ study and there are less harmful and cheaper alternatives available.

Cllr Clarke said: “So if you’re short of money, why not scrap the Poynton Pool spillway scheme which nobody wants in Poynton and use the money saved to keep the waste sites open.

“Alternatively, open the Poynton site on four days a week and Bollington on three days and move the staff between them.”

He urged the authority to reconsider the damaging proposals and keep the three waste sites open.

illovemacc asks: Does anyone have any confidence whatsoever in Cheshire East Council? Moreover can we trust what we are being told?