Enough information to fill a blue bin

A couple of days ago I received among the more dubious of Lib Dem leaflets, which was masquerading as a National and Local issues survey. Actually, there was only one short and very general question on national issues and the rest of it was dedicated to stirring up local matters, which the Lib Dems usually achieve with some skill. None of the issues probed about was particularly surprising.

The one thing that did catch my eye though was question six, which asked people “Do you have all the information you need about the new food waste collections (starting January 2010)”? Apart from inviting the answer “no” and provoking a small degree of antipathy among voters, I’m left wondering what all this is about. In case the Lib Dems hadn’t noticed, a whole section of the Woking Borough Council website is dedicated to answering a myriad of questions on the service and it is also linked to on the homepage.

In addition, I had my caddies delivered today and there is included in the package an eight-page booklet that describes in more detail than you could ever need why the scheme is being introduced, how to use it, what can go in the bins and includes a tear-out calendar of collection dates. As a PR officer, I’m fairly certain that this covers most bases.

Anyone who still doesn’t have enough information on the scheme after that either has an unhealthy interest in the mechanics of waste collection or simply isn’t listening. To me, question six demonstrates that the Lib Dems suffer from one of these afflictions. Answers on a postcard.

I received my green bins a couple of days ago for the new garden waste collection. As I was among the first to sign up for the scheme and so got two bins for £45, which I thought was very satisfactory. Over the weekend, I have cleared my vegetable beds of weeds and grass as well put in grass and cuttings – I’ve still got room in one bin for more and the other is empty.

This really is a great scheme. It will save 400,000 plastic bags each year going to landfill. It will mean that collections will become more efficient, only going to those who have signed up, saving money for the taxpayer and carbon dioxide for the environment. The bins will prevent animal interference and the whole scheme will raise revenue for the council to offset its cost.

It is only right that those who use the service because should pay for it, rather than the cost be spread evenly through council tax onto those who perhaps don’t have gardens – or, worse, those who live in communal blocks where they already pay service charges to have them tended.

Change is always a difficult thing. People are used to the old system – it’s easy and straighforward with no capital outlay needed. But with budget constraints on us, residents will have to get used to the idea that more and more council services may require a contribution from users. It’s not a happy thing to face up to but it may be the only option for a sustainable financial future.

The Liberal Democrats of course claim that they would run the council along a different financial model where there would be enough money for everyone to have all the services they want – and to take on some of the county council’s too apparently – but having looked at their record in Kingston, Waverley and Richmond, I wouldn’t hold your breath.

The only way to restore proper funding to Surrey as a whole is to vote for a government that will scrap the Barnet formula and restore parity of funding across the UK.

Given the mess that Labour has made of the economy, that might not entail much more money in Woking but at least we won’t be losing out.