£53 million waste fear (York Liberal Democrats)

York Liberal Democrats <info@yorklibdems.org.uk>

£53 million waste fear

November 17, 2005 12:00 AM

At Tuesday's full meeting of the City of York Council (15th November), Councillors heard how the Council is at risk of losing £53 Million to the Treasury in landfill taxes and fines. If the government doesn't help local authorities to build the infrastructure they need to deal with waste, huge costs will fall on local taxpayers as strict fines are applied.

The risk for councils across the country is that landfill fines are going to take such a huge proportion of available money, that other services will be harmed. It is important that the government provides funding NOW, to allow Councils to save millions in future years.

There is a suspicion that the Treasury is happy for local authorities to fail to meet their targets, as a way of raising revenue. However, the loser is the local resident in York.

Liberal Democrat Councillors tabled a motion to officially record the Council's concerns, to request better support from the government and to thank residents for taking part in the first step in cutting landfill, separating green waste.

Proposing the motion, Cllr Martin Lancelott (Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Panel) said "I do not disagree with the carrot and stick principles which are integral to the success of the Landfill Tax. We were told, however, that this would be a cost neutral tax."

"York has now paid £8.9 Million to central government in landfill taxes and received £1.5 Million back. A £7.4 Million difference. How can this be right or fair?"

"The Local Government Association recently identified a £2.2 Billion black hole due to central government under-funding. The future for waste disposal, based on current trends, could see York being fleeced to the tune of some £53 Million."

"The challenge to our environment has never been higher on the agenda. York is working hard with it's partners in North Yorkshire to stand up to this challenge. Joint working will clearly be central to the success of addressing the waste problem."

"Locally, the political will is there, the public will is there, the money is not."

"Central Government should put it's money where is mouth is."

ENDS

Full text of the motion, as passed by City of York Council, reads:

Council notes with concern that the costs of waste disposal penalties paid to central government by the authority could total around £53 million during the next decade and that central government, on current trends, proposes to reinvest only £12 million of this in underwriting the new recycling and disposal facilities which are being developed by the City of York Council.

Council places on record its thanks to the residents of York who have responding magnificently over the last few weeks by substantially exceeding the expected proportions of waste sent for composting and recycling.