West Berks to introduce waste "stealth tax", No food waste? Be prepared to get your wallet out... Options

[Richard Garvie]

As a quick heads up, here is a press release we put out this morning:

West Berkshire District Council are to introduce fines for residents not using it's food waste recycling services, according to the Newbury Labour Party. In an email sent to other local authorities and seen by Labour Spokesman Richard Garvie, West Berkshire District Council will introduce the charges after what the letter says is an "initial three month period".

Mr Garvie is concerned that the new charges may penalise those who have very little or no food waste. "Somebody like myself who is very careful when it comes to buying food and what I cook could potentially be hit by penalty charges every fortnight for not wasting food, which is complete madness. In addition to this, the council are still refusing to publish the public consultation or any risk / impact assessments that relate to the change in service. Their attitude and evasiveness leads me to believe that they have not carried out the required work and if that is the case, there needs to be a full public review on the matter to establish why the council have acted in this way."

West Berkshire District Council had already ruled out a review last week, but with evidence to suggest hidden penalties charges and other restrictions included in the new waste collection system, Labour are once again pressing the council for a review to be carried out.

For further information / quotes, contact Richard Garvie on 07411 488324 or email info@richardgarvie.com.

[NWNREADER]

Good 'heads up', but I still think it wrong you use your personal website as the contact for Labour Party communication.

[Andy Capp]

I agree, it looks like you are more interested in your name getting noticed than for the possible altruistic political reasons you might wish. Why not have something like richard@newburylabourparty.com?

[Richard Garvie]

Fair point from both of you. It is something I will look into, but even the branch email address is an @btinternet.com email. I use my work email as it redirects to my mobile, meaning that I get every email almost the minute it gets sent.

Anyway, back on topic, if it turns out that we are facing penalty charges for this and other restrictions that NWNREADER has raised concerns about, it will be interesting to see what the official line is from the council. How could they sneak all of this through the back door?

[Strafin]

I don't use the waste collection service, does that mean that I am subject to be fined as well?

[Richard Garvie]

I don't use the waste collection service, does that mean that I am subject to be fined as well?

From the email sent by West Berks, they plan to fine those who do not use the service. There is no real explanation of how they will monitor useage or implement fines, it's all a bit crazy really. We need answers!!!

[spartacus]

What if you keep a couple of pigs? I don't use the waste food service

[Bartholomew]

As a quick heads up, here is a press release we put out this morning:

West Berkshire District Council are to introduce fines for residents not using it's food waste recycling services, according to the Newbury Labour Party. In an email sent to other local authorities and seen by Labour Spokesman Richard Garvie, West Berkshire District Council will introduce the charges after what the letter says is an "initial three month period".

Can you give us the text that West Berkshire Council have issued on this?

I find this post a bit thin and I would like to know what its based on.

[Richard Garvie]

Can you give us the text that West Berkshire Council have issued on this?

I find this post a bit thin and I would like to know what its based on.

I've only seen the hard copy of the email whilst having lunch on Friday, but trying to get my hands on an electronic version so that I can post in full. Apparently any changes to terms and conditions of collections (bin lids being closed etc.) should be listed online somewhere. Can I find them? Nope.

This is why a risk / impact assessment and consultation of changes should have been carried out. If these reports have not been carried out, the council is open to a legal challenge. Anyone got £10,000 for the deposit? Nope, thought not. Looks like the council will get off without scrutiny yet again...

[Bartholomew]

I've only seen the hard copy of the email whilst having lunch on Friday, but trying to get my hands on an electronic version so that I can post in full. Apparently any changes to terms and conditions of collections (bin lids being closed etc.) should be listed online somewhere. Can I find them? Nope.

This is why a risk / impact assessment and consultation of changes should have been carried out. If these reports have not been carried out, the council is open to a legal challenge. Anyone got £10,000 for the deposit? Nope, thought not. Looks like the council will get off without scrutiny yet again...

Was this a private email (ie from one individual to another) or was it from an official from WBC? I'm not asking for names but trying to establish if this is testing the water of if its already official policy.

[GMR]

I agree, it looks like you are more interested in your name getting noticed than for the possible altruistic political reasons you might wish. Why not have something like richard@newburylabourparty.com?

That maybe true, but his name is already getting noticed whether he puts that information up or not. Unless you know otherwise we should take it at face value. How many other politicians or councillors do you know - of either party - to have gone to the trouble and try to be informative and write on this forum? They don't really care about our views. Hats of to Richard Garvie in trying to engage us.

I am not saying this because I support his politics (I don't), but it is nice to see somebody actually trying to reach out. Even if it is for his own ends at least he is doing more than the other numskulls we've got as councillors.

[Andy Capp]

I agree totally GMR, but in politics one is compelled to 'play the game'.

[user23]

Probably should have been a question mark at the end of the title of this thread shouldn't there, rather than it being a statement of fact?

[GMR]

I agree totally GMR, but in politics one is compelled to 'play the game'.

I agree; we all play the game.

[Richard Garvie]

The email was from an officer at West Berkshire District Council and was not a political email. It appeared to be a statement of fact, saying that the council will introduce penalty charging after an initial three month period.

I have asked for urgent clarification on what the state of play is, let's see what they come back with. I'm just as interested in what NWNREADER has emailed to the council about bin lids closing properly and the like.

Does anyone know if any of this is listed anywhere (official website etc.)? Surely it must be somewhere if it is the council's new policy?

[blackdog]

I am trying to make sense of this allegedly proposed scheme.

Which I read as saying that WBC will fine users for incorrect use of the food waste system. Am I right on this RG?

The trouble is that it is impossible to misuse it. You can put food waste in your black bin or your green bin - so you couldn't be fined for putting it in either.

If the suggestion was that WBC would introduce a fines system for general misuse of the refuse collection system, as other authorities have done; or a system that charges users according to the weight of their refuse, as has certainly been proposed elsewhere - then I could start to believe it. But misuse of the food waste collection system - someone's pulling your leg RG - probably wanting you to rush off and make a fool of yourself with a knee jerk reaction...

[gel]

These WBC Employees seem to forget they are our employees/ servants, not the other way round.

[Bartholomew]

I am trying to make sense of this allegedly proposed scheme.

Which I read as saying that WBC will fine users for incorrect use of the food waste system. Am I right on this RG?

The trouble is that it is impossible to misuse it. You can put food waste in your black bin or your green bin - so you couldn't be fined for putting it in either.

If the suggestion was that WBC would introduce a fines system for general misuse of the refuse collection system, as other authorities have done; or a system that charges users according to the weight of their refuse, as has certainly been proposed elsewhere - then I could start to believe it. But misuse of the food waste collection system - someone's pulling your leg RG - probably wanting you to rush off and make a fool of yourself with a knee jerk reaction...

I agree with this as my understanding of the situation is that WBC have financial penalties imposed on them for not recycling enough. This may be the reason why they are trying to do the same to householders. It is however, impractical to only focus on food only. Seems like this is an uninformed internal email that has escaped to the public.

[Richard Garvie]

I agree with this as my understanding of the situation is that WBC have financial penalties imposed on them for not recycling enough. This may be the reason why they are trying to do the same to householders. It is however, impractical to only focus on food only. Seems like this is an uninformed internal email that has escaped to the public.

Let's see what the council come back with. Hopefully I will have an e-copy that I can post soon.

[user23]

Probably would have been wiser to check the facts before announcing this as council policy.

West Berkshire District Council are to introduce fines for residents not using it's food waste recycling services