Recycling centre plans put on hold
PLANS to build a new recycling centre at Chelson Meadow have been delayed for a year amid moves to plug an £800,000 gap in Plymouth's budget.
The city council will transfer the estimated cost of £3.8million for a new materials recycling facility (MRF) to its 2013/14 capital programme.
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Chelson Meadow landfill site
Cllr Ian Bowyer, the city's Cabinet member for budget and finance, said yesterday: "We don't see a need at the moment for the council to borrow to deliver the capital programme.
"I am not keen to rack up debts for future generations to pay.
"We shouldn't spend money we don't have and we should not borrow money we can't afford."
Mr Bowyer told a meeting of the city's Cabinet yesterday that the current year's spending was still £454,000 adrift.
"With a revenue budget of more than £200million, that is an impressive achievement," he said.
He was confident that the hole could be plugged before the end of the financial year in April.
"We are dealing with it year on year rather than stacking up a deficit."
Cllr Mark Lowry, Labour's finance spokesman, said: "In the whole time the Tories have been in power recycling rates have remained the same. They keep on promising more recycling every year and every year they fail to deliver.
"Their attitude is to build an incinerator to burn more waste."
Mr Bowyer is due to present his 2012/13 Budget to the council on February 27.
"The gap we currently see between income and spending next year is about £800,000," he said yesterday. "We are looking at ways to address that gap and present a balanced budget."
But he said he was still undecided about whether to accept a one-off Government offer of £2million to freeze council tax.
Around the country more than 150 councils have already pledged to freeze or cut council tax, but others have defied the Government because of the knock-on effect a freeze would have on future years.
The council is in the middle of a major structural shake-up that will see the existing four directorates reduced to three. The final proposed budget report that goes to the full council on February 27 will be based on the old system but will include a summary of how it would look in future.
Mr Bowyer presented his initial draft budget in December, setting out measures to cut council spending by another 3.4per cent in the 2012/13 financial year.
The cuts are part of a three-year programme to slash spending by about £30million.
The Government is cutting the city's grant next year by 2.8 per cent, meaning the council would have £56 less to spend for every household.
Next year's spending will amount to £201million, down from £208million this year.
City income in areas like parking has fallen off, but money is being saved by the restructuring of senior management, which will see two out of six tops jobs go. The council is about half way through cutting 500 posts. So far most of the staff cuts have been through natural wastage and voluntary redundancy.
The council's back office functions face the biggest cuts, falling by 15 per cent this year, with cumulative cuts taking that to 25 per cent next year and 40 per cent by 2013/14.
Cuts in critical areas like children and young people and adult social care are more modest, at 1.5 per cent this year, 3 per cent by 2012/13 and 6 per cent by 2013/14.
The council directly employs 4,300 people, with another 3,000 working in maintained schools. The wages bill is £84.5million, and restructuring of senior management is expected to save at least £600,000 in the next financial year.
Councillors from both parties carried out a line-by-line scrutiny of the budget proposals last month.
The final budget will go to the full city council for approval in February.
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by hjm4l
Thursday, February 09 2012, 5:53PM
“Under the guise of trying to get everyone to believe they are being prudent with our money this re-cycling centre has been shelved until next year when they can think of another excuse as to why it won't happen.
Give the people some credit, they are not that gullible that you can con them into accepting that budget constraints are the reason behind this especially after the incinerator fiasco which is why this re-cycling project has been consigned to the back burner until such time it is incinerated along with everything else.”
by LHPlymouth
Thursday, February 09 2012, 11:19AM
“Efficiently run recycling centres FIRST with proper information to the public who are still unsure of what can and can't be recycled.
Then see what is left and decide what can be done with it...
This delay goes AGAINST all the principles of the waste development plan (which incidently did not include the current incinerator site in it therefore no proper consideration for those affected by it) where recycling must be dealt with BEFORE such facilities are chosen.
Come on PCC pull your socks up before its too late - halt the incinerator and go back to the drawing board - don't put us into even more debt for the next 25 years.”
by Graciefer
Thursday, February 09 2012, 9:46AM
“(quote)Cllr Ian Bowyer, the city's Cabinet member for budget and finance, said yesterday: "We don't see a need at the moment for the council to borrow to deliver the capital programme.
"I am not keen to rack up debts for future generations to pay.
"We shouldn't spend money we don't have and we should not borrow money we can't afford."(unquote)
this was just astonishing to read have these councillors not heard of the word CONTRADICTION you are giving us a MASSIVE DEBT for the next 25 yrs in money and a life time of health problems and probable premature death for the next generation with the incinerator!!!
Please dont pretend that you give a damn about the people of this city because it is very clear that not a single member of PCC give two hoots about us!!”
by Winstonsmith0
Thursday, February 09 2012, 9:12AM
“Don't you know, Plymouth is now in the business of 'waste maximisation' too?
How reassuring, then, to discover that George Osborne was the first signature on a petition against an EfW plant in Cheshire (his constituency) and Eric Pickles (you know; the big guy who, as Secretary of State refused to call in the MVV incinerator for public enquiry having spent less than 12 hours coming to this decision after planning was granted) campaigned against a waste facility in Essex (his constituency) saying approval would "open the doors for our county to become the waste-dump for the south-east"
Plymouth - waste dump for the South-West!”
by notamistake
Thursday, February 09 2012, 12:23AM
“if student landlords in Plymouth paid council tax this would generate over £5Million a year into PCC coffers - but they 'choose' not to charge them a penny!
If you halved the salaries of the top 50 earners in PCC this would also create another £5M...
Plymouth People should vote wisely in May and the more independent Councillors we have the better...”
by BS_Hater
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 5:47PM
“If they were making a nominal charge to tip at chelston meadow, say £1 a load then they would have more than enough.
Oh no hang on, they sold us out to Viridor who are now taking all the cash made from recycled waste etc.
Another classic from PCC.”
by Freeiwish
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 3:18PM
“Outrageous, they have enough money to build an incinerator that will be emitting toxic fumes in a residential area, but not enough to build a recycling centre?!? Plymouth city council you disgust me, where are your morals?..oh i forgot everything comes down to money money money, who cares about human health and the health of the environment?”
by jessica91
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 1:35PM
“PCC you are so transparent.
I have broached this subject in relation to the incinerator at several roadshows. I was assured by representatives of SWDWP and MVV that recycling remains a priority and that PCC would do all it could to increase recycling.
Lets all wait for the back tracking now that PCC has officially granted planning consent.
First we were told that it would only be general waste...
Then we were told commercial waste...
Next commercial and industrial waste...
Finally that there would be no restrictions as to where this waste comes from.
Remember...... PCC will have penalties imposed if it fails to supply sufficient waste to the incinerator.”
by 02_Lover
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 1:25PM
“We have been here before
There is evidence emerging that the practical effects of long term contracts for incinerators work against the best interests of recycling. In mid-1995, Cleveland Waste Management signed a 25-year contract with Cleveland County Council based on projected long-term waste arisings of 310,000 tonnes. However, in the first year of the contract the region supplied only 248,000 tonnes - and the county and four borough councils which succeeded it incurred penalty charges of £147,000 because of the shortfall. The Assistant Director of Environmental Services at Stockton Borough Council observed that the penalty clauses "mean that fundamentally we are into waste maximisation" According to the Assistant Director, the councils "are already constrained by the contracts from doing even a modest amount of recycling" and the future of two materials reclamation facilities is in jeopardy.
Sound familiar?”
by Winstonsmith0
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 12:51PM
“Yes indeed ewan55 . . . but what is in it for council members/tories/unelected council officers - should that question ever arise?
Plymouth, space of waste”