A COUNCIL leader says he doesn’t believe most councillors are opposed to plans to reduce rubbish collections despite one of his own Labour group speaking out.
Cllr Anthony Hunt insisted his council will listen to alternative suggestions as to how it can reach a 70 per cent recycling target by 2025 even though its ongoing consultation only asks residents if they would back switching current fortnightly wheelie bin collections to either once every three weeks or once a month.
The proposed changes have prompted Giles Davies, the Labour councillor for Abersychan on Torfaen Borough Council, to publicly state he cannot support reducing the frequency of bin rounds and described the plan as “a sledgehammer to crack a nut”.
Cllr Davies posted a statement to his Twitter account outlining his opposition to the proposals and criticised the council’s waste collection services, which have been blighted by missed deliveries.
His criticism follows that of independent opposition councillors David Thomas and Alan Slade who have accused the council’s leadership of blaming residents, rather than its own management, for a failure to hit the current 64 per cent recycling target.
The pair, who both represent Llantarnam, highlighted stalled progress on the Ty Coch recycling facility in their Cwmbran ward which the council has had planning permission to upgrade for more than four years but is still trying to negotiate a lease to extend its use.
However despite the criticism, including now from within the Labour group which holds 30 of the 40 council seats, Cllr Hunt has dismissed the prospect of widespread opposition.
Asked if he was aware if other councillors in the Labour group are opposed to the plans Cllr Hunt said: “It’s very early in the consultation process and I don’t think fixed views have been arrived at. I think most people are listening to what is being suggested and until we get to the end of the consultation, and the need to make decisions, people will form opinions from there.”
It is unclear however how much say individual councillors will have on reducing collections of the purple lidded bins.
The ongoing consultation, which also asks how people can be helped to recycle, is due to end on Sunday May 7. A timeline previously published by the council has suggested a seminar for all councillors would then be held but a final decision on any changes would be taken by the eight member Labour cabinet in June and, if agreed, collections then reduced from March next year.
Cllr Hunt said while the decision is for the cabinet, in line with the council’s constitution, he said it he didn’t think it had been decided if it would be the cabinet or the full council which takes the decision.
However he said wanted the support of councillors to make changes with the council facing hefty fines from the Welsh Government for missing recycling targets: “I want to try and work with people to take forward the suggestions and take forward the concerns they have. I’m more than happy to look at suggestions and questions wherever they come from, we all need to work together.”
Cllr Hunt also defended only consulting on reducing wheelie bin collections to either once every three weeks, or once a month, saying the council should only consult on “realistic” options to boost is current 62 per cent recycling rate but said cardboard collection will increase from fortnightly to every week.
The Panteg councillor also said he hoped the council could “demonstrate it is making good progress” on overhauling the Ty Coch site.
Cllr Davies said he felt the Welsh Government is “taking money” from “struggling councils” through fines and highlighted problems with collections in Torfaen writing: “I have been contacted many times in the past 11 years by residents, frustrated by recycling not being collected, giving up, putting missed food waste in the bin, rather than having the frustration of trying and get it recollected.
“We all see the missed collection lists on social media, a lot of it left out to blow about the wards.”
