Lib Dem boss hits out over bin charge U-turn (From Warrington Guardian)

Lib Dem boss hits out over bin charge U-turn

9:20am Wednesday 16th January 2013 in News

LABOUR councillors ‘knew nothing’ about a U-turn on charging for replacement weelie bins - a top Liberal Democrat has claimed.

As previously reported in the Warrington Guardian, residents have been angered when a £30 charge was introduced to pay for a new bins when one was stolen.

Last week, Warrington North MP Helen Jones complained, only to be told the decision was reversed before Christmas.

Lib Dem leader on the council Clr Ian Marks said, “When the Labour party took over from us in May 2011, their leader made great play of the fact that they would be ‘open and transparent’. “Not only were the public and opposition parties not told about this change of policy, it appears that none of the Labour members knew of it either! Hardly a good example of openness and transparency.

“I thought the Labour party was trying to get away from being officer led which they certainly were when last in power. But here we have a classic case of the officers setting policy and not the councillors.”

A council spokesman said: "The council introduced a charge for the delivery of replacement wheeled bins last July.

"Elected members, having promised to keep the measure under review, listened to the feedback from residents and accepted there was an unfair impact on some of our residents.

"As a result the charging policy was withdrawn at the last meeting of the executive board and members committed to consider alternative policies.

"Refunds to all those who had incurred a charge will be made automatically in the near future."