'If ever there was a loaded question, that was a loaded question. It disappoints me they were not brave enough to ask a straight question: ... Do you prefer weekly collection, yes or no?' -- Councillor David Clifford

'The main reasoning [behind the two options] is we recognise that doing nothing isn't an option.' -- Andrew Lloyd, chief executive, Rotten Borough of Rushmoor

At the beginning of the year, several thousand households in the Rotten Borough of Rushmoor were forced into a 6-month trial of fortnightly waste collection.

The trial was unnecessary, it would have been easier to simply ask local residents The trial has proved to be an unmitigated disaster making the lives of those who had to participate a misery. The trial has led to overflowing bins, maggots, rats, fly-tipping, back garden burning of rubbish and extra trips to the local refuse dump.

During the May local elections, Roland Dibbs the cabinet member responsible for this crass policy and up for re-election, blatantly lied to save his political skin. He claimed there were no health implications, that people were indifferent and that only one person had objected. This was not what was found on the doorstep, people were not only against, they were very, very angry. Information supplied by the council one day after the election was that over 100 people had objected!

Army families are demanding weekly collection and their views are no different to the rest of the borough.

Peter Sandy, until recently a Rushmoor councillor, has had several thousand people contact him demanding weekly collection, several hundred of which were from the ward Dibbs allegedly represents.

The six-moth trial is now over and the views of local residents is to be evaluated by means of a questionnaire. The questionnaire is loaded, asked how frequent people wish to see their waste collected, they are given the option of:

- fortnightly waste collection
- weekly with smaller bins and an annual £12 charge

Retention of the existing weekly collection is not down as an option.

According to Rushmoor chief executive Andrew Lloyd, the existing status quo is not an option. There was thus never any intention of seeking the views of local residents.

Instead of working with the local community, encouraging recycling, the ruling cabal at the Rotten Borough of Rushmoor has tried to introduce recycling on the cheap. The ill-thought through crass policies are not working, the solution is to punish householders with fortnightly waste collection. No one believes the recycling figures claimed by the ruling cabal as so many lies have been told already, but even if true, these are no better than that achieved by neighbouring Guildford, without having to resort to fortnightly waste collection.

Now that Peter Sandy has been forced off the council by bloody-minded officials, there is only one councillor, David Clifford, who has the guts to defy the unhealthy cabal of senior officers and a minority of councillors and speak out on behalf of the local community. He has commented he feels embarrassed to be part of this council.

A Parliamentary Select Committee has heavily criticised fortnightly waste collection. MPs have also called for more research into public health issues and other risks associated with fortnightly waste collection.

Websites

 http://cllrclifford.blogspot.com/
 http://www.thetruthinrushmoor.co.uk/
 http://www.crow.uk.com/
 http://www.weeklywaste.com/
 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/bins
 http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/AxetheBinTax/
 http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/WeeklyRubbish/
 http://www.recyclenow.com/
 http://www.letsrecycle.com/info/localauth/league/2005ranked.jsp

References

David Derbyshire and Jane Merrick, MPs: Fortnightly bin collections are an unworkable mess, Daily Mail, 16 July 2007
 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=468656&in_page_id=1770&in_page_id=1770&ct=5&expand=true#StartComments

Lindsey Eudo-Mitchell, Garrison families 'need weekly bin collections', Aldershot News, 6 July 2007
 http://www.aldershot.co.uk/news/2012/2012386/garrison_families_need_weekly_bin_collections

Garrison needs weekly service, Surrey-Hants Star, 12 July 2007
 http://www.shstar.co.uk/news/2012/2012626/garrison_needs_weekly_service

Rebecca Connop Price, Status quo 'no option', Surrey-Hants Star, 12 July 2007
 http://www.shstar.co.uk/news/2012/2012625/status_quo_no_option

MPs criticise bin collection plan, BBC news on-line, 16 July 2007
 http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6898050.stm?dynamic_vote=ON#vote_fortnightly_collections

Keith Parkins, Rushmoor lies on fortnightly waste collection, Indymedia UK, 11 June 2007
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/373368.html

Keith Parkins, Peter Sandy cleared of nearly all allegations, Indymedia UK, 13 July 2007
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/07/375903.html

Keith Parkins, Who runs your local council?, Indymedia UK, 16 July 2007

Bob Winter, Make it clear you are against permanent AWC, letters, Farnborough News, 13 July 2007