Peckham Rye Labour

Peckham Rye Residents will recall that during the 2010 election campaign the issue of recycling rates was a huge issue. People we spoke to on the doorstep simply could not believe that the Liberal Democrats who had run the council for 8 years had left Southwark as the 6th worst recycling authority in the country. In November 2009, official league tables showed that in Lib Dem Southwark less than 21% of household waste was recycled. In that year, the recycling rate had risen less than 1%. Southwark Labour candidates made a pledge during that election campaign to double our borough's recycling rate. In order to meet that pledge Labour needed to prepare the ground for some big changes. The new Cabinet Member with responsibility for recycling, Barrie Hargrove, immediately took steps to introduce a pilot scheme in six wards, including Peckham Rye. In October the pilot started, introducing a weekly food and garden waste collections and supplying people with compostable bags to enabl...

We all know that Southwark council has the 6th worst recycling rate in the country and has a generally terrible record on environmental issues. But we're fully aware that it's not enough for Labour candidates in Southwark to just point at the inadequacies of the Lib Dem-Tory Coalition. That's why I'm setting out Southwark Labour's pledges for improving the environment. These are the green policies which will be delivered if enough Labour councillors are elected on May 6th: - Labour will double the recycling rate in our borough - We will introduce combined heat power for our heating systems , and conduct a full green audit of the council's energy use by 2010. - We will create a publicly available register of tree protection orders in the borough. - Labour will reopen two air quality test stations that Lib Dems and Tories inexplicably shut down. - Where possible, we will open up green spaces on vacant land - We will introduce cycle parking on our estates, to encou...

Southwark Labour are committed to improving recycling rates should we win control of the council in May. Recycling has suffered years of neglect under the Lib Dems and Tories culminating in Southwark being rated the 6th worst council in the country for recycling. 2010 is the year for change! One of the things that Labour could do to boost recycling would be to collect food waste. Food waste accounts for about 40% of household waste and, at the moment, unless you compost at home, it’s just ending up in landfill where it will give off methane as it rots. Sadly the Lib Dems and Tories have ruled out even considering the introduction of food waste collection until at least 2014. Southwark Labour’s plans are backed up by plans announced this week by Hilary Benn MP, Labour’s Environment Secretary. He revealed that a Labour Government would introduce a ban on food waste ending up in landfill – great news. Councils will have to collect food waste and use it for composting or generating energy....

Speaking to people when we're out and about in Peckham Rye, there does seem to be some confusion about how well Southwark is performing on recycling. Tory and Lib Dem canvassers seem eager to muddy the waters on this important issue. What follows is a quick summary of the facts and our own position on recycling. In November 2009, the latest official league tables for recycling rates in England were published. Incredibly, the figures reveal that Southwark council has become the 6th worst council in the country for recycling. Southwark recycles less than 21% of household waste and the Lib Dems and Tories couldn't even manage a 1% increase in the recycling rate over last year. When they took charge of Southwark in 2002, the Lib Dems and Tories promised to increase the borough’s recycling rate to 30% by 2010. Not only have they failed to meet that promise but, when compared to the rest of the country, they have dramatically moved backwards. Recycling rates in neighbouring Labour La...

Thanks to the weather we had a challenging day talking to local residents but it proved well worth it. We hope we have persuaded you that we'll be working for you every day of the year! Lots of issues came up including recycling, schools, road and pavement resurfacing and, of course, why streets haven't been gritted. A lot of people clearly feel let down by the Lib Dem/Tory council and basic expectations simply aren't being met. If Southwark is spending money it certainly doesn't seem to be here in Peckham Rye. As local candidates, committed to working tirelessly for the area we live in, we hope that our dedication today helps persuade you that we'll do all we can to make Peckham Rye a better place to live. Gavin explains to a local resident that Southwark council has let us down on recycling...

We recently reported the news that Southwark’s recycling rate was sixth lowest in the country. The Lib Dems pledged to increase the recycling rate to 30% by next year, but they’re missing that target by almost ten per cent. To get some pressure put on the Lib Dems on this crucially important issue, Southwark Labour have set up a petition calling for a recycling system which which is easier to use and deals with a wider variety of materials. If enough people take the time sign this petition then would can present it to the Lib Dem environment boss at the January council assembly meeting. This would force him to explain what is going wrong in Southwark and to tell us directly what he is planning to do to improve the recycling rate. If you want your borough to improve its recycling rate and catch up with all the hundreds of councils currently putting Southwark to shame, I would strongly urge you take a moment to sign the petition here

Under the control of Liberal Democrat councillors, Southwark council has officially become the 6th worst council in England for recycling it’s rubbish. New figures released by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs have brought the incredible news that Southwark has dropped in the national league table of councils from 10th worst to 6th worst. That means there are now 388 local authorities in England who do a better job of recycling than Southwark. The council’s woeful performance on this issue is bringing national attentionto our part of south London. An inner London council with a population which is desperate to see more of their waste recycled is being seriously let down by the ruling parties. When they took charge of Southwark in 2002, the Lib Dems promised to increase the borough’s recycling rate to 30% by 2010. Not only have they failed to meet that promise, but when compared to the rest of the country, they have actually taken the council backwards. Recycling ra...