What wasn’t said

You recently gave space to Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, the leader of the Conservative group on Wokingham Borough Council, to trumpet her obsession with a weekly collection of all waste types. What was particularly interesting was what she didn’t say.

She did not say that the Conservative UK government (which she is keen to become a member of) has stated that it wishes to see consistency across all English councils.

She did not say that 85% of councils have already moved away from weekly collections of all waste types to try and drive-up recycling rates.

She did not say that many Conservative-led administrations have already adopted the scheme or that Conservative-led Southend City Council recently voted to implement the scheme in 2025 for exactly the same reasons as Wokingham Borough Council.

She did not say that the nonpolitical government-appointed commissioners at “bankrupt” Birmingham City Council are proposing the same change.

Residents will get to determine the truth of this.

Is the change in waste collection (which Wokingham will be one of the last councils to adopt) a serious attempt by all political parties (and independent commissioners) to increase recycling rates, improve the environment and provide a more efficient service or is it just something to be used for potential electoral gain even if that goes against the strategy of the Conservative UK government as set out in the Waste Management Plan for England published by the Department for Environment Food & Rural affairs in January 2021?

Stephen Newton, Liberal

Democrat Councillor for

Maiden Erlegh Ward