Rubbish - we want our money back says Council Leader

2.46.47pm GMT Thu 13th Mar 2008

PR 7128 Call to stop landfill tax digging a hole in pockets of Hertfordshire taxpayers

The Leader of Hertfordshire County Council Robert Gordon has signed an open letter to Environment Secretary Hilary Benn demanding that money raised by the Government through landfill tax is returned to local authorities.

He joined counterparts at 75 other councils across the country in backing Sir Simon Milton, Chairman of the Local Government Association.

Robert Gordon said: "We are forking out more and more every year on landfill tax, but the Government is simply not keeping its promise of giving us back our fair share.

"We are merely asking the Government to honour its pledge to return the money so that we can use it to invest in refuse and recycling facilities. That way we can reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, which is better for us, the environment and everyone in Hertfordshire."

The Government will be taking an extra £3.6m in landfill tax during the next financial year. If Hertfordshire continues to send waste to landfill at the current rate, landfill tax costs would increase from around £17m to £28m by 2010/11. Across the country, it is anticipated that council taxpayers will be hit with a £1.5bn bill over the next three years.

"We simply cannot afford for things to carry on as they are," continued Robert Gordon. "We are doing everything we can to reduce waste, but we need to invest more if we are to meet our target of recycling and composting at least half of all household waste by 2012 and we will struggle to afford to do so if the Government pockets the landfill tax."

The letter concludes: "Landfill tax is designed to encourage people to throw away less, but at the moment it is unfairly penalising hard-pressed councils that need all the extra money from the tax returned to enable them to invest in offering local people better recycling facilities.

"As leaders of councils of all political types and all parts of the country, we call on you to honour your pledge to return the money raised through landfill tax to local authorities."

ENDS