With Slough having been named as having the second worst recycling rate in the South East last week, we are calling on the Labour Council Leader Cllr. Swindlehurst and Cabinet Member for Environment to apologise to residents for their failure.
Their record, a rate of 23%, is in stark contrast the leadership shown by Conservative councils nationwide, who on average recycle 49% of household waste. They cannot even match other Labour councils who recycle 36% on average.
Shamefully the council has taken to blaming their poor record on residents via Twitter – claiming the rates in Slough were down to contamination – rather than choosing to take any responsibility for their own failures. Not only is this it disgraceful to lump blame on residents, but it is quite simply utter rubbish.
Last September we highlighted the issue at Council and Labour said simply that ‘they had a plan coming’. It is clear however that with no plan and no idea, there is clearly a lack of leadership, and Labour, Cllr. Swindlehurst and Cllr. Anderson have let residents down – yet again.
While residents await their apology and their plan, we call on Labour to support our local manifesto proposal to introduce a GreenRedeem scheme as the council in Windsor and Maidenhead have, which in contrast to their approach, encourages and rewards residents to recycle more, rather than simply blame them. Residents deserve better.
Lee Pettman - Chairman, Slough Conservative Association
Cllr. Wayne Strutton - Leader, Slough Conservative Councillor Group
