Edward has called on Leicestershire County Council's Reform UK leadership to set out a firm date to reopen Bottesford's much-used Waste & Recycling site, which the County Council has temporarily closed since 7th August, and to set out a clear public plan to reach that date and restore this vital service for local residents.
The Household Waste & Recycling Site was temporarily closed by the County Council in early August, but its closure has now been indefinitely extended by LCC beyond its previously announced reopening date, with the Council citing factors such as higher than usual demand, staff shortages across LCC's network of Waste & Recycling Sites, and capacity issues at waste processing providers nationally, to which the waste collected is sent on for processing by LCC when it is cleared from Bottesford and other sites.
Edward has written to LCC's Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste, highlighting local concerns, and his concern as Bottesford's local MP, over the impact a extended closure of this important service, that residents have already paid for through their council tax, and which they rely on, questioning why Leicestershire is so affected, when other nearby counties, like Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire don't appear to be implementing similar indefinite closures.
In his letter he called on LCC's leadership to confirm a firm re-opening date; asks what steps LCC is taking to address staff shortages, by recruiting additional temporary staff if necessary; what additional resources are being allocated to this issue and when will an action plan be published; if the end-processors LCC relies on cannot meet demand, what emergency contracts with other end-processors are being explored while this pressure exists; what assessment has LCC made of any potential for increased fly-tipping due to the extended closure; and most importantly, will LCC's leadership commit that this temporary closure will not be turned into a permanent closure in any circumstances?
Edward said: "This is a much-valued, and much-used, important local service for the people of Bottesford and the nearby villages, and it is a service they have paid for through their council tax. While a closure of a few days to clear a backlog or get an action plan in place to address specific circumstances so the council can give a firm re-opening date is understandable, to leave the site closed indefinitely, with no announced re-opening date, no public plan of actions to get to that point, and residents being left in the meantime without the service is deeply disappointing. We need a clear date and a real plan from LCC's Reform UK leadership, to restore this vital service, alongside a cast iron commitment that under no circumstances will any temporary closure become permanent."
