Labour block fairer, greener system of taxing waste

12.00.00am GMT Thu 6th Feb 2003

The Lib Dems are furious that two Labour council's have blocked proposals for a fairer, greener system for taxing waste. At the moment the council pays the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) a levy based on our council tax base - the value of homes in the borough. Councillor Bridget Fox, Executive Member for Sustainability and fellow Lib Dem NLWA member Councillor George Allan, have been leading the fight for this to be changed so that all boroughs pay just on the tonnage of rubbish collected. The NLWA met this week to vote on whether or not to accept this change but despite the fact that the changes would mean a much fairer system of taxing waste, two Labour councils, Hackney and Waltham Forest, both voted against the change. Only if all member boroughs support the change can it go through. This change has been put to the NLWA before but has previously been boycotted by some other boroughs such as Hackney. Councillor Bridget Fox said: "This is very frustrating. All we're trying to do is change the system so that it is much fairer for everyone but Labour Hackney and other boroughs keep stopping us. Since the Lib Dems took over Islington council, our recycling has doubled, but we have to pay the same amount to take the rest of the rubbish away. It's not fair - it doesn't reward waste minimisation and doesn't encourage recycling. We should be setting an example - not dragging our heels. Labour boroughs like Hackney need to clean up their act. Bridget adds: "Liberal Democrat Islington is putting our policies of environmental sustainability and fair taxes into practice but it's obvious from this that some Labour boroughs don't want to do the same."