Newcastle Is National Recycling Champion
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is celebrating after scooping a national award for its new recycling and waste service.
David Becket cabinet member for Environment and Recycling
The borough council has beat off stiff competition from unitary councils and a waste disposal authority to win the “Waste Management Award” at the Government Business Awards.
The category highlights “outstanding” schemes that are cost-effective, provide a high level of service and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.
The council’s service – which has increased recycling rates from 27 per cent to 50 per cent – was up against schemes run by Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority, London Borough of Hillingdon, Peterborough City Council and Hull City Council.
In July 2009, plastic bottles and cardboard were added to the fortnightly recycling collection and a year later, weekly food waste collections were launched along with the extension of the fortnightly garden waste service to all homes with a garden.
The announcement was made at Twickenham Stadium by BBC journalist and news presenter Bill Turnbull.
Cllr. David Becket, Cabinet member for environment and recycling, said: “I’m delighted and very proud that Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council’s service has won this national award, especially as we were the only district council in the category and have today been unfairly criticised by The TaxPayers’ Alliance.
“Our new system – supported by WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme) – is designed to produce the best quality material for recycling and has already produced dramatic results, while delivering £500,000 of savings.
“I would like to dedicate this award to our residents who have clearly embraced recycling and also our members of staff and contractors Acumen Distribution, Lower Reule Bioenergy and Simpro for providing an excellent service.”
The service improvements were designed to meet Government targets for reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill.
Food waste is sent to an anaerobic digestion plant at Lower Reule Farm in Stafford where it is turned into electricity to power local homes and heat to grow strawberries.
And garden waste such as twigs, grass and leaves is turned into high quality compost for use on local farms.
For more information about recycling, visit www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/recycling.
6th March 2011
admin
Local, National, News
AV Referendum Set For May
The refer
endum on voting reform will take place on the 5th May 2011.
The choice is simple – keep the present system or vote for the Alternative Vote (AV) system
The AV system is also simple
- Instead of a single X for one candidate you list as many as you wish in order of preference 1,2 3
- The candidate with the least number of first choices is eliminated .
- The second preferences for the eliminated candidate are then counted, and added to the totals of the other candidates
- And so on until one candidate achieves a total of more than 50% of the votes
26th February 2011
admin
Campaigns, National
Annual General Meeting 2010
Newcastle (Staffs) Liberal Democrats will be holding their Annual General Meeting on Friday 12th November 2010 at 7pm.
The meeting will be followed at 8pm with a Fish and Chip supper open to all members and supporters and is a chance to meet other members including councillors and cabinet members while enjoying an old fashioned fish and chip supper to be held at St. Georges Hall, Cherry Orchard, off Ryecroft, Newcastle.
If you wish to attend the Fish and Chip supper, please let us know in advance to ensure we can meet the expected demand. The cost of the Fish and Chip supper will be £5 per person.
Contacts for Fish and Chip supper:
David Dugdale, david.dugdale@newcastlelibdems.org.uk or Phone 01782 618060
Lizzie Shenton, elizabeth.shenton@newcastlelibdems.org.uk or Phone 01782 740276
For further details of the AGM please see the Agenda and list of Offices for Election (available to logged in local party members only).
Any local party member who is unsure of their website password should contact Mark Sherratt, mark.sherratt@newcastlelibdems.org.uk or Phone 01782 450209.
17th October 2010
webmaster
Membership, News
Liverpool Conference
Following our autumn conference at Liverpool, Nick Clegg explains where we are with the coalition and what we can look forward to in the future:
23rd September 2010
webmaster
News
Robin Studd launches Gallowstree safety petition
Robin Studd has launched a petition to try to get the County Council to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists at the Gallowstree roundabout.
“The work the County has done on the roundabout has widened the roads and enabled cars to travel faster through the roundabout,” says Robin. “The result is that it has become more difficult and dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the roads. That is particularly bad news for students and for the children who have to cross the road to get to school.”
“I have raised this matter with the County Council, but so far they have failed to deal with the safety issues.”
“Now I’m asking everyone who can to sign my online petition and put extra pressure on the County Council to take these safety concerns seriously.”
18th May 2010
webmaster
Campaigns, Local, News, Petitions
