Dudley Council to discuss waste collection after 3,000-strong petition triggers debate
More than 3,000 Dudley borough residents have signed a petition demanding better waste collections to trigger a debate about the issue at full council.
The petition was launched in December when Dudley Council announced free green waste collections would stop for residents but despite the Conservative administration bowing the plan the debate will go ahead.
Petitioners also want the Anchor Lane tip reopened for residents and wheelie bins for recycling after clinching their first wish for free green waste collections.
The petition was signed by 3,155 people and handed into Dudley Council this week, having surpassed the 3,000 mark which means the issue will be debated at full council on Monday, February 28.
Secretary of the Lye and Stourbridge North Labour Party Andy Tromans handed in the petition. He said: "Thank you to the more than 3,000 Dudley residents who supported the petition. We still need a waste management facility in the north of the borough."
Kieran Casey, Labour Candidate for Castle and Priory, said: "This just shows what we can achieve when we work together, but there's more that we want to see, with better provision for local residents in general, and we want our local tip reopened in the north of the borough, another issue that has been handled ridiculously by the Conservatives in control of the council."
Stourbridge North Councillor Pete Lowe said: "We have already seen how this petition has people power as it has forced the Tories in Dudley to do an embarrassing U-turn on green bin charges. We still need to ensure our communities in the whole of the borough have access to recycling sites.
"People are continually asking me, from building on green spaces to charging for green waste, why have the Tories got it in for our environment? I'm pleased the green bin charges have been dropped for this year, but it is still not clear what will happen after the collections end in autumn.
"We still need answers and action on gaining access to the Anchor Lane tip for residents in the north of the borough, and an improved recycling service to ensure we're doing all we can to protect our environment."
Explaining why the council reversed plans to charge residents for green waste collection, Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for public realm, said: "We know how much people have valued the green waste service and we have to make sure that we do what we can to provide options to meet our residents' needs.
"Many councils do charge for the whole green waste service and this is an option we have of course had to consider. But we have now looked at how we can do things differently by offering an additional option to our residents throughout the winter months."
