Row over Alternate Weekly Collections continues

Councillor Wera Hobhouse

The row between Councillor Wera Hobhouse and Councillor Susan Emmott over 'Alternate Weekly Collections' rumbles on; in response to Councillor Emmott's sustained attacks Councillor Hobhouse says: "Susan Emmott's account of things is really distorted. I have been leafletting in Heywood about the Alternate Weekly Collections and I get many responses from people who have no problem with the new scheme once it is properly explained why we are doing it and what the consequences are if we don't."

Councillor Hobhouse went on to say: "Everybody accepts that we need to recycle a lot more not only for environmental reasons but because of the enormous costs that this Council is facing in the next two years if we do not perform according to Government set targets. Since we introduced Alternate or Managed Weekly Collections in one quarter of the Borough last June we improved our recycling performance by 6% over just nine months. This is an enormous success given that in previous years we only increased recycling by about 2% for the whole borough and persistently failed our Government set targets.

"Other Authorities like Bury or Stockport had the vision some years ago to take recycling seriously, made the necessary investments and steadily increased recycling. However in Rochdale previous Labour administrations never made these investments and failed all the targets. Since Government is really getting tough with under performing Councils, we are running out of time. It is precisely because we studied what other Authorities were doing that we decided that only Alternate or Managed Weekly Collections would deliver the necessary breakthrough. The success in Pennines has proven us right.

"From sitting on the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority where all Greater Manchester Councils come together and discuss waste and recycling, I know many nearby Councils will soon be introducing Managed Weekly Collections - or have already done so.  My Lib Dem colleague from Stockport will be visiting Rochdale in the next few weeks to see our successful service with a view to bringing it to Stockport.

"Online readers will understand that the new service will allow residents to recycle a lot more which is why it in not necessary to collect the residual waste bin every week.

"Readers will also understand that some residents will only start to recycle once we reduce the amount of times we collect the residual waste that goes to landfill.

"Scaremongering stories like rats, maggots, flies, smells etc are completely unfounded. Complaints from residents in Pennines have been very low. In the case of rats, there have been fewer reports of rats since we introduced Managed Weekly Collections compared to the same period in the previous year.

"Maybe residents concerned about the change should ask residents in Pennines how it has worked. Only yesterday in Norden, when the issue was being discussed, a lady from Littleborough stood up and said: ‘We had worries and doubts when we first heard about the new collection scheme. But believe me, it really works!’

Councillor Emmott's view is this is a healthy debate about how best recycling targets can be met and still offer a good refuse collection service to the council tax payers of this borough.

She said: "This is about how we can achieve a good balance between helping the environment and avoiding the pitfalls associated with alternate weekly collections.

"I wish Councillor Hobhouse the best of luck in her quest to improve recycling in Rochdale, however I am merely voicing concerns expressed to me by my many friends in the Pennines Township, by the people I represent in Hopwood Hall and by friends in those parts of the country that already have alternate collections.

"I have a very strong record of supporting the environment in my ward going back over 20 years. I opposed taking the Hareshill Road site in my ward out of the Green Belt. I opposed the destruction of the ancient wooded area on Egerton Street for development and last year I fought alongside local residents in my ward against the landfill on Hareshill Road. People in Heywood know about my commitment to the environment.

"Wera says I am scare mongering about the danger of rats and other pests and says my claims are completely unfounded. However, these claims are not mine, but of those who work in the pest control industry. The National Pest Technicians Association, the leading independent body of pest control professionals, has reported a 39% increase in the number of call outs for rat catchers since certain councils began alternate weekly collections. The figures for call outs in summer, when household waste produces more odours, are even more disturbing – a 69% increase. I believe we should trust the verdict of those professionals who know more about rat infestation than either Wera or myself. Remember, rats carry life-threatening diseases such as Weil’s Disease and Salmonella. I would not be doing my duty as a councillor if I were not concerned about the potential health threats to the people in my ward.

"There are still many problems with the pilot scheme in the Pennines Township, as Councillor Ashley Dearnley so eloquently put at the last council meeting. Councillor Dearnley raised the issue of the flimsy waste bags that blow open in the wind and of rubbish being scattered around streets and gardens. Once again, I would trust the word of a man like Councillor Dearnley, who has been a councillor in his local community for 25 years and knows his ward better than anyone else."