Tories and Lib Dems clash over recycling facilities. (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Tories and Lib Dems clash over recycling facilities.

11:49am Wednesday 3rd October 2012 in Winchester By Wesley Rock

PLEAS for glass recycling collections from peoples' homes have been dismissed by civic chiefs.

At a council meeting on Thursday (September 28), Liberal Democrat councillors expressed concern that the number of bottle bank sites in Winchester had fallen.

The number of sites in the city is now down to 80, compared to 83 in April 2011. Asked if more were planned, Cllr Huxstep said: “The demand is such that what we have is what we have. The recycling is taking place so I do not think there is a problem. There appears not to be the demand.”

However, Cllr Dominic Hiscock challenged the cabinet on the issue.

Council leader Keith Wood said that members had been asked to come forward with suggestions for more recycling sites, but none had been forthcoming.

Cllr Hiscock, who is an advocate of glass collections from peoples' homes, said: “Doesn't that just confirm that the number of bring sites are not going to be sufficient? That councillors have already said collections are the way forward on this?”

Cllr Wood replied that around £200,000 would be required for such an initiative, plus another £200,000 for a special collection van - money he said the council did not have. “If we had that money, then fine. But we have better things to spend the money on,” he said.

Cllr Huxtsep added: “At this point we cannot contemplate collections.”