We don't care what you think: East Dorset District Council ignores petition against Brook Road tip sale
January 12, 2010 12:28 PM
The Conservative run has chosen to ignore the views of over 400 residents
East Dorset District Council has chosen to completely ignore a petition signed by over 400 local people demonstrating against the sale of the District Council car park and recycling site. The petition also called for the District Council to work with the County Council in securing better facilities for the Wimborne and Colehill area.
In his response to the petition, Council leader Spencer Flower refused to allow the petition to be debated at a later date, and chose to ignore the fact that so many local residents objected to the District Council's handling of the situation. He also stated the he would not be raising the issue with the County Council as requested.
Councillor Janet Dover, who presented the petition (full comments below), said "In all my 22 years as a Councillor I have never heard a petition received with such bad grace. This petition has obviously hit a nerve. There is a real need for better recycling and tip facilities in Wimborne and Colehill; the support over 400 local people demonstrates that. Yet the Conservatives just want to sweep this under the carpet rather than dealing with the problem they have created."
"It was claimed that this is nothing more than electioneering; the strength of feeling in the area contradicts that, with over three quarters of the respondents going to the trouble of putting their petition slip in an envelope and sending it to us. The Council should accept that this is an issue and do something about it."
Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, who has worked with the Wimborne and Colehill Lib Dems on this issue, commented "I was taken aback by the District Council's response. Rather than ignoring the views of so many residents they should be working with their Conservative Colleagues on the County Council to provide better facilities for the local area.
Additional notes:
• The District Council car park and recycling banks on Brook Road were sold without consultation. Previously many users bypassed the already long queues by stopping in the car park to walk and carry small amounts of rubbish to the main tip. Now local residents can look forward to even longer queues and waiting times.
• Satisfaction with local tips is already very low - East Dorset was recently ranked 183 out of 200 Councils nationally on that issue. This sale will only make things worse.
• The Conservative controlled District Council currently has no plans to make up for the lost facilities.
• In addition, a senior County Council Official has stated that they do not intend to spend any money on the remaining Brook Road Household Recycling Centre for the next decade. (This remaining facility is run by the County Council rather than the District Council)
Councillor Dover's comments to Council when presenting the petition:
As many on the Council will know, the Liberal Democrats have been very critical of the sale of the Council recycling site and car park on Brook Road in Wimborne, along with the lack of consultation that preceded the sale.
A petition, organised by the Wimborne and Colehill Lib Dems, with support from Annette Brooke MP, has recently gained just over 400 signatures from the local area objecting to the Brooke Road sale.
The petition reads: "We the undersigned object to the Council's sale of the Brooke Road Recycling site and demand that East Dorset District Council provide better recycling facilities."
While it is too late to prevent the sale of the land, I hope that the strength of local feeling that this petition demonstrates will prompt the Council to consult with the general public on similar matters in the future.
I would also like to emphasise the need for better recycling and tip facilities in the local area, two issues which are in this case closely linked. The Council was recently ranked 183 out of 200 Councils nationally on satisfaction with local tips. With no plans to replace the lost facilities this damning statistic will only get worse.
The situation is made worse by the neglect of recycling and tip facilities in the local area by Dorset County Council, who has stated that they have no plans to spend any money on the remaining Brook Road Household Recycling Centre for the next decade. This is not acceptable and I call on this Council to call for action on this issue from Dorset County Council.
In nearby Purbeck, the Council has recently accepted an offer from the County Council for the provision of a brand new £2 million Recycling centre in Swanage. Yet in Wimborne and Colehill, where the service is already poor, the Conservatives on one council are selling facilities while Conservatives on another council are neglecting the few facilities that local people have left.
As this petition demonstrates, the situation is not acceptable, and I call upon this Council to take action to remedy the situation and treat this issue seriously.
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