The Borough Council has been severely embarrassed by an accounting error that failed to identify an additional £12 Million in its coffers after the transfer of Council properties. This was a mistake waiting to happen as the ruling Labour Group has created a climate and system where decisions and reports are not properly scrutinized. The Lib Dem Group says that we shouldn't spend the £12 million as we need the money from the interest to improve day to day services and reduce future increases in Council tax. "This Borough Council cannot afford any more expensive white elephant capital projects" said Cllr Craig France "We need to deliver basic services better"

In light of the above (and poor reports from inspections) the Audit Commission is making a Special visit to the Borough Council to check that it is performing to the satisfactory standard. This is an important visit which highlights the concerns that many people have about the standing of Erewash Borough Council. The Lib Dem Group will work constructively with the visitors to make suggestions as to how the Borough Council can Improve

Erewash Liberal Democrats have welcomed the Borough Council’s first attempt to put together an environmental strategy,  but the Liberal Democrats believe that the environmental strategy should be developed further and for the Borough Council to: 

•  Adopt a zero waste strategy.

The policy of trying to manage waste is failing and should be replaced by a long-term policy of elimination or minimization of  waste.  The Council’s actions and thinking should be geared to reducing waste by using recycled materials and only ‘virgin’ materials that can be repaired, re-used or recycled. 
• The introduction of the "land-fill" Tax will make Recycling pay. We cannot go on for ever filling our "green and pleasant land" with our rubbish.
• Extend the brown bin, blue bag and green box collection schemes to every household in the Borough. Stop the land fill now!!

Investing in recycling is good for the environment and will save money in the long run.

Examples of the problem: -

• The Supermarket plastic bag

This is a non degradable item which clutters up the environment for thousands of years. Why cannot it be replaced by recycled paper bags? The Skegness company which makes these bags should be helped to covert its factory into making paper bags which are reusable and are environmentally friendly.
 
• The Fridge mountain.

It was decided European wide that Fridges needed special recycling due to the CFC problem causing global warming. The Government had three years to prepare for the recycling becoming law but did little. The industry repeatedly warned that something had to be done, but ministers did nothing. Now local councils like Erewash have to foot the bill of storing old fridges. So far the tax payer has had to fork out £70 million of which £30 Million can be attributed to the government mismanagement.
 
• Recycling of old cars

A huge rise is expected in the number of old cars abandoned on the roadside across the Borough following a government decision that the last owner of every vehicle must pay for new scrapping and recycling costs. 
The End-of-life vehicle directive, which is designed to promote recycling and protection of the environment, requires all hazardous substances such as oil, brake fluid and coolant to be removed from vehicles before they are scrapped. Dismantlers estimate that this requirement will cost about £100 for each car scrapped.
The task of clearing abandoned cars will fall on local councils and again on the tax payer. Erewash Liberal Democrats believe this should be added to the price of new cars as £100 is insignificant against the price of the new car but the last owner is in many cases the "jalopy" buyer who can least afford the charge and the cost is a significant percentage of the purchase price.