Labour Cllrs, talking rubbish

I’ve just had a look at the website of Cllr Chris Maskell, who attacks me and the Lib Dems with the headline 'Recycling rubbished by the Greens'. Of course he doesn’t quote me, because I’ve not attacked recycling, rather I’ve pointed out how their current scheme is failing. Rubbish is piling up in homes around Reading, and there are reports of rats. The increased rates of recycling he quotes will include the fact that they gave away many recycling wheelie bins when the new Alternate Weekly Collection scheme started, before that there had been a long wait to get one. Perhaps the answer is to talk to the residents with rubbish piling up, and see why they can’t cope. It may be that they don’t understand the rather complex rules of what can be recycled, e.g. no glass and only certain plastics. And if that doesn't work we may need to go back to weekly collection, they said at the time there was no financial difference with this scheme, so there would be no cost implication to returning to the previous one.

Cllr Maskell said 'However, it has been very disappointing to see the negative approach taken for what appears to be political reasons. How else can anyone explain why the the Green Party's Adrian Windisch has already called for the scheme tp be abandoned and the LibDems claiming that there will be "no real increase in recycling".' at http://cllrchrismaskell.com

I wonder if he understands the waste hierarchy; reduce, then reuse, then recycle. He also discusses having to go to Ikea to buy spotlights, though he appears to know about the existence of internet shopping and that his 150 mile round trip was a ‘polluting experience’. Perhaps he should read my blog, where I gave details of some useful light bulb shops in Reading.

He chairs the environment scrutiny panel, so should know better. He gives a link to www.icount.org.uk, but just like other Labour/Tory/LibDems loves talk of building new roads, like the new scheme at Cow Lane. Oddly I first heard the argument that building roads generate traffic from Tony Blair, when he was in opposition to the Tories, they have since changed there policies. Perhaps Cllr Maskell should read up on the subject, as new roads were recently proved to generate more traffic, while better public transport reduces congestion. See www.cpre.org.uk/library/results/roads for a report that proves that, giving the example of the Newbury bypass, where there are now similar traffic levels in Newbury despite the huge expanse and damage of this project. www.transport2000.com is also very informative on transport issues. Incidentally the Lib Dems supported building the Newbury bypass, though they might be regretting that now.