SUTTON'S MPs CALL FOR SCRAPPING OF GARDEN WASTE CHARGE

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 8th Sep 2008

Sutton's two Liberal Democrat Members of Parliament, Tom Brake and Paul Burstow, have jointly called on Sutton Council to scrap the charge for collecting green garden waste.

Heavy mailbags from constituents objecting to the charge led the MPs to commission their own telephone survey over the summer. It showed that an overwhelming number of the borough's residents wanted a return to the free service.

The MPs have written to the Leader of Sutton Council, Cllr Sean Brennan, calling on the Council to reverse the decision when it meets to review the scheme on 23 September.

The MPs' telephone survey of 2,972 residents showed that 88 % of those contacted were against the charge, the great majority of them describing themselves as 'strongly opposed' to it.

Tom Brake and Paul Burstow said: "We have spent the summer speaking to residents about this scheme, and in addition to the clear-cut result of our poll, we have both received a heavy mailbag of complaints from constituents.

"It is quite clear that while people like the new glass collection the £35 charge has caused a lot of anger - in this respect the Council has got it wrong. We have made it clear to Cllr Brennan that the charge should be scrapped."

ENDS