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A DELAY in introducing the Cotswold's new waste collection scheme has been labelled a "shambles" by Liberal Democrats, who are calling for an inquiry into the matter.

The council meant to launch the scheme on April 21 but postponed it until mid-summer.

Cllr Deryck Nash, leader of the council's Lib Dem opposition group, was due to call for an inquiry during a special council meeting held as the Journal went to press.

He said: "Things seem to have gone very wrong somewhere and people feel that their council has let them down.

"Despite all the roadshows, leaflets and other publicity there is still a great deal of confusion among the general public. It is essential to get to the bottom of this shambles if the council is to restore its credibility in the community."

Cllr Mark Tufnell, the council's environment portfolio holder, said the delay happened because the contractor introducing the scheme underestimated the task.

He said: "We must remember that this is a change on an enormous scale to a service that affects 38,000 households.

"A total of around 120,000 new waste containers are being delivered across 450 square miles.

"There were bound to be some teething problems and we are all working together to get them sorted out."

Council leader Cllr Lynden Stowe said: "The Liberal Democrats are simply trying to undermine what will eventually become one of the best waste and recycling services in the country.

"They should stop whingeing and start thinking about the impact of continuing to send tonnes of waste to landfill unnecessarily."

The scheme will comprise a food waste collection in 10-litre containers for composting; weekly garden waste collection in green-wheeled bins or brown paper sacks for households who have paid for the service; fortnightly card and cardboard collection in reusable blue sacks for recycling; fortnightly non-recyclable waste collection in grey-wheeled bins or beige bin bags; and a continuation of the current fortnightly collection of paper, glass, cans and empty aerosol cans in kerbside recycling boxes.

12:04pm Thursday 8th May 2008

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