A Labour Cllr is seeking cross-party support to ensure the Government’s Environment Bill is “fit for purpose.”
Labour’s Councillor Janet Henshaw (Great Sankey North and Whittle Hall) has put forward a Motion to be debated by Warrington Borough Council tonight, 1st November and is hoping to win cross-party support for the Council to write to the Town’s two MP’s and the Secretary of State for the Environment to:
· Accept the amendments to the Bill made by the House of Lords and
· To urge further scrutiny of this Bill in the House of Commons to ensure that it fit for purpose
Warrington Labour Group is warning that public health and wildlife could be at risk and that the cost of recycling could increase significantly for local Council Tax payers, because of the Government’s fundamentally flawed Environment Bill.
The Motion states that the Government rejected most of the amendments to the Bill, which would have made it more acceptable. These included targets for air quality and allowing Councils to decide on the best waste and recycling collections for their own area.
It goes on to say that the Government has said that it will give companies 25 years to find ways of stopping sewage being pumped into our rivers and seas.
Cllr Henshaw said, “Air pollution is associated with a number of adverse health impacts, including asthma, heart disease and cancer. This affects the most vulnerable in our society, those on low incomes and in already poor health. Wildlife and plant life are suffering and the raw sewage will eventually kill everything in our seas and rivers. This sewage contains all the stuff we put under the kitchen sink because it’s toxic!! In 25 years it will be too late.”
“There is already a huge cost to waste recycling and more should be done to address this at source rather than trying to change how we do it. Waste production needs to be curbed”
“The Bill, in its current form is a missed opportunity and puts this Government, including the Warrington South MP, who voted to reject the amendments, to shame, particularly on the eve of the COP26 summit being hosted by the UK.”
