Council Leader "Living in a Fantasy World"

9.33.01pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 16th Oct 2008

Council leader, Fred Brown has been accused of living in a fantasy world over the district's rubbish recycling targets.

The accusation came from Ely county councillor, Nigel Bell, who warned that, unless a real effort is made to boost recycling rates, the district council will remain the worst performer in the county and will face high landfill tax fines.

"This council sends the most waste to landfill in the county, has the second worst record in the county and its recycling rates are by far the worst in the county," said Ely North and East County Councillor Bell.

Cllr Bell's attack came at an East Cambridgeshire District Council meeting last night (Tuesday) after a press release in July wrongly stated that East Cambs sends the least waste to landfill.

He also claimed that council assertions that waste recycled through the new Donarbon centre at Waterbeach would count towards the district's recycling targets was factually incorrect.

"It will only count towards the county's targets," he said. "I can tell Cllr Brown that while ECDC sends the least total waste to landfill this is simply because it is the smallest district in the county. In fact, per person it sends the most waste to landfill in the county

"Does Cllr Brown therefore wish to reconsider his claims and start living in the real world?"

East Cambridgeshire District Council sends 558kgs of rubbish to landfill per household and 239kgs per person - a recycling rate of just 35.6 per cent - whilst most other councils are recycling 50 per cent plus of their waste.

Ely Liberal Democrat leader and Haddenham Cllr Gareth Wilson, said: "Our waste collection is rubbish and our residents are contacting us constantly to tell us so. But this administration is not taking any action to solve the problems."