'Conservatives 'cannot cope' with waste mountains' - Farrin

1.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 17th Aug 2006

Lib Dems are concerned about waste

Lib Dem waste spokesman John Farrin has expressed his outrage over the piles of waste that accumulated at Pinchington Lane last week.

"The site at Pinchington Lane was quite literally a tip! This is simply not good enough and is yet another example of Tory incompetence - the citizens of West Berkshire have responded magnificently to the call to recycle more, but have been let down again by the Conservative administration."

Councillor Farrin spoke out in response to the admission of Geoff Findlay, Conservative portfolio holder for waste, that 'the site is in an awful state' and that 'we have got lots of people coming in with more and more waste to be recycled, but we cannot get rid of what we already have' . Councillor Farrin continued:

"The Tories have admitted they cannot cope and do not know where to go with the waste situation. I am absolutely appalled to hear reports of swarming flies and stinking rubbish heaps just lying around last week. My concern is also based on health and safety grounds - JCBs compacting rubbish at the site are generating thick clouds of dust which are still blowing around.

Making the public breathe dust and fumes is hardly going to encourage use of the Council's facilities and recycle even more as government targets require. I would like to know what action will be taken to prevent this happening again."

Note to Editor:

1. Quote taken from article 'Overflowing waste site causes alarm', 10th August 2006, NWN, p.2.