Lib Dem green scheme here at last after Guildford Borough Tories back down

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Sat 1st Jul 2006

Ash resident Cllr Fiona White (left) and her Lib Dem colleagues recycling plastics. In Guildford Borough, plastic bottles will be collected from the doorstep.

Having voted down a Lib Dem proposal in February for kerbside collection of plastics throughout the borough, the Borough Council have bowed to Lib Dem pressure and finally backed down.

A trial has already been underway since last year - though sadly Ash, Ash Green and Tongham were all left out.

Cllr Sarah Di Caprio, The Lib Dem Environment Spokesperson on the County Council, explained, "In February the Lib Dems proposed to extend plastics collection for recycling across the borough in2006/7 so that Ash, Ash Green and Tongham would get this service too. The Conservatives rejected the idea. Yet now there's a by-election here, the Tories are finally treating the whole borough equally.

"This latest Tory U-turn on recycling is welcome. They know that residents know the Lib Dems were right! But if we are to avoid having landfill sites and incinerators built in Surrey, then they have to get down to some more serious planning for recycling."

However, there is still concern about the scheme. At the moment only plastic bottles can be collected, so yoghurt pots and margarine tubs go in the black bags for landfill. The Lib Dems are pushing for new markets to be found so all plastic can be collected. The Lib Dems also want to start planning now for the collection of kitchen waste for composting - another proposal the Tories rejected in February.

Denise Smith - Recycling is everyone's responsibility

Many local people are wondering why this area was left out in the first place, however. Cllr Fiona White, an Ash resident and leader of the Lib Dems on the Borough Council said, "Local people feel that the Tory Borough Council takes Ash and nearby villages for granted while concentrating their efforts on the town of Guildford - where their MP has a flimsy majority of 347 and many of their councillors will be under threat next year."

Local campaigner Denise Smith added, "Many people in Ash tell me that they feel overlooked by the Conservative Councils. They think we get poor value for our taxes out here."