Heather Kidd has expressed disappointment at the refusal of the Tory ruling group on Shropshire Council to save the Community Skip service at yesterday’s (Tuesday 9th March) Development Services Scrutiny Panel. The Liberal Democrats had proposed to expand the service across the whole County not scrap it.
Cllr Chris Mellings of Wem, who has strongly urged the Council to retain the service said “This is a disappointing outcome, there has been no consultation with either those who use the service or parish councils. The Council is reneging on its commitment to improve service levels to those of the best and now a valuable local service is in serious danger of being lost!”
Cllr Mellings added “The Community skip service provides a valuable facility, popular with local people to dispose of bulky and other waste. In Wem many use the service to deposit waste on their way into town to do shopping, if people go elsewhere they may decide to do their shopping elsewhere as well! Axing this service will not improve recycling nor reduce the carbon footprint because of the additional journeys to the waste sites in Shrewsbury or Whitchurch. ”
Heather Kidd said “This mobile skip service is highly valued by residents in both South Shropshire & North Shropshire as it provides the only means by which many communities can easily dispose of bulky items; indeed a petition was presented at yesterdays meeting containing 634 signatures from the Bishops Castle area asking for the retention of the service & both the Town Council & local residents spoke at the meeting to urge the Council not to remove this service. Residents in my local area, for example, would have to travel to the Waste Transfer Station in Craven Arms if this service was withdrawn. A waste of time and petrol and not good for the environment either.”
Community Skips are moved around the area by the Council, appearing at sites such as Edinburgh House Wem, the stock market in Bishops Castle and Childe Road, Cleobury Mortimer at times previously advertised. They allow householders to dispose of most kinds of large items that cannot be taken by normal waste collection.
The Liberal Democrats will continue the fight to keep this at the Council’s next Cabinet meeting on the 17th March where a final decision will be made.