Deputy leader of council accuses waste company of ‘extortionate’ increase

Councillor Irene Davidson

Lib Dem Councillor Irene Davidson, deputy leader of Rochdale Council, has accused Viridor Laing, the company that has the waste and recycling contract for the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority and hence for Rochdale, of unilaterally imposing an "extortionate" increase in charges.

Referring to the recent massive hike in waste disposal charges to local businesses, she called on GM Waste to take the company to task for the increase, which she said could put small businesses out of business and lead to a big increase in fly-tipping.

Councillor Davidson was also angry that the company had imposed the huge increase without consultation and without any approval to do so, she said: “Who gave this company the right to impose this increase without consultation or approval?”

Council Leader, Councillor Alan Taylor, backed Councillor Davidson and explained that when he was a grocer he paid £2.26 for a 40kg load (the charge for what amounted to a van load in 2001) of waste he disposed of weekly, with the new charges, with the minimum half tonne, this would now cost over £50. He said: “Businesses are being advised to wait until they have half a tonne to save money, but that would have taken three months in my case and businesses can’t store large amounts of waste for months, particularly food waste.”

He added: “It is a death blow to small businesses.”

Both opposition parties supported the condemnation, for the Conservatives Councillor Anne Metcalfe said: “The increase is untimely and insensitive. We must get this ridiculous decision reversed.”