BASILDON BOY

Where is UKIP condemning the EU for interferring and possibly causing our Council Tax to go up! This should be made an issue - especially as local elections next year fall on the same day as the Euro Elections and will give UKIP a chance to link hikes in council tax to the European Union.

Council tax likely to rise unless recycling rates go up (From Thurrock Gazette)

Council tax likely to rise unless recycling rates go up
12:52pm Tuesday 7th October 2008
Comments (4) Have your say »


EUROPEAN Union fines and Government landfill taxes could mean that borough residents face a £30 hike in their Council Tax bill if they do not increase recycling rates.

That is the warning from Councillor Steve Veryard, Thurrock’s Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services after the Audit Commission announced that, by 2013, councils across the country will have to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill to half of the amount dumped in 1995.

If the targets are missed it could cost councils £7 million each a year in EU fines, around £30 per household.
Even if the EU targets are met, individual councils that do not meet separate Government targets could face up to £2million in fines as well.

Councillor Veryard said: “Thurrock Council has set an ambitious target of 60 per cent for recycling.
“We have delivered on our promise to keep the weekly bin collection and we plan to introduce wheelie bins to replace the old blue recycling boxes and start a new service to collect mixed kitchen and garden waste.

“We will also be building a new recycling centre in West Thurrock, which will be open by Autumn 2009.”
He added: “Over the past four years residents have done a wonderful job and helped triple recycling rates, diverting tens of thousands of tonnes of waste from landfill sites.

“However, if we don’t work together and continue to increase the amount we recycle council costs will be pushed up by Government and European Union directives with the taxpayer left to foot the bill.”

__________________
Mike Nattrass MEP is HOT HOT HOT!!!

Nyge21

I think its been pretty clear for some time now how council tax rises have already been due in no small measure to EU regulations - which the uk government embrace and further develop ! UKIP have campaigned on this, as far as i can tell, at several local campaigns and in particular have picked up on the cost of recycling (eg how fines on councils are introduced by eu regulation - and how they are related to the proportion of waste going into local council landfill)

For further details, you might wish to view the recent video - 4mins in (watch for further 2 mins 20secs) , says it all! See