Marsworth and Future Plans for Refuse and Recycling.
It is now two years since I wrote about anticipated changes to refuse and recycling collections and the introduction of a new “brown bin” for cardboard and other compostable waste. I explained that these changes would not occur “before April 2009 and may be much later”.
At the time of writing this, February 2010, it is unlikely that any changes to Marsworth’s present pattern of collections will occur in the next two years.
While the District Council is responsible for collections the County Council is responsible for disposing or recycling it. (All Buckinghamshire’s District Councils and the County Council work together as the “Joint Waste Authority”). The County have made two attempts, at Hardwick and Westcott, to build a treatment plant which would have been able to treat brown bin waste (cardboard and garden waste etc). The two locations were found to be unacceptable on planning and financial grounds respectively. So it will not be possible, in the absence of a treatment plant, to introduce a brown bin scheme.
This situation has not been without consequences. Seven years ago Aylesbury Vale District Council came 156th out of 408 local authorities for its recycling rates. In 2007 – 08, the last year for which records are presently available, it was 360th out of 393 local authorities. (figures from www.letsrecycle.com ) The cabinet member on AVDC, responsible for Environment and Health, has said that if it were not for the treatment plant problems AVDC would have been in the top part of that table.
It is anticipated, planning consent and other issues permitting, that from 2014 most green bin refuse will no longer go to landfill site but will be sent, for incineration, to an “Energy from Waste” plant in Bedfordshire. It is encouraging to note that the amount of green bin refuse has been steadily reducing for the past couple of years.
The loss of Hertfordshire County Council’s household waste and recycling centre at Tring has been alleviated by the opening of a new centre at Aston Clinton by Bucks CC.
There may, in a few parishes, be some change in collection days later this year, but refuse and recycling will continue to be collected on the one day. If Marsworth is one of the affected parishes then residents will be advised well in advance of any change.
To sum all this up – there is, for all the above reasons, unlikely to be any change in the type and pattern of collections in Marsworth for at least the next two years.
For further refuse and recycling details Tel: 01296 585510
or log on to www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk
Council Tax 2010 - 2011.
At the time of writing it is likely that Marsworth’s total council tax bill will increase by slightly less than 2%. However this remains a provisional figure until all the authorities formally agree their individual budgets.
Cheddington and Tring Stations - New Off-Peak Ticket Restrictions
Since January people travelling on off-peak tickets cannot use them to return from Euston between 16.45 and 18.45 hours on Monday to Friday. For Cheddington train users this is effectively a three hour restriction because of the timetabling of trains. For Tring train users it is admittedly less punitive, being two hours and twenty minutes. I requested that the Local Area Forum (our local group of some fourteen Parish Councils) wrote to London Midland pointing this out and also asking why none of the local communities were consulted about this. They agreed to do so. I will continue to pursue this matter.
Corry Cashman
Tel: 01296 668565
c.cashman@zen.co.uk