Hertfordshire Finally Comes Clean on £1m Cuts to Waste Services

Secret plans to save over £1m have finally been exposed by the Liberal Democrats on Hertfordshire County Council.

Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Stephen Giles-Medhurst has found out, and now forced the County to make public, that their plan to close two household waste sites and cut opening hours at others, will save not the £750,000 reported to councillors back in early July, but over £1m. After discovering the true figures, Cllr Giles-Medhurst threatened to go public with it unless the council did.

The Council had wanted this "saving" to be kept confidential despite having already awarded a contract to Amey Cespa for this.

Councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst, Leader of the Lib Dem Opposition on HCC said: "We always knew the supposed "consultation" exercise and the planned closures were nothing to do with improving services for local residents.

"Finally we have the truth.This is a £1 million pound cut in services.

"The County Council consultation is a fraud. I wonder how many leading Tories knew that the saving was far more than was being let on, that both Elstree and Hoddesdon could be kept open and they could still save £750,000?

"This whole exercise stinks. They should be looking at each waste site to see what the needs of residents are. Why cut the opening hours at Waterdale in Watford by 44% when it's the most used site both for tonnage and visitors?.

"Whilst savings could and need to be made, the Tory blanket cut across all opening hours, and to close two sites - with no background as to usage and no local input is just like the bus cuts, a "lets cut - we do not care" approach.

"Localism under Herts Tories seems to work like this: they will tell you about the cuts; ask you about them; then make them - whatever you have told them you think.

"Why have they hidden the true figure of the cuts? What more are they keeping back? Or is this just a PR exercise saying we will close two sites then reprieve them because they are in Tory held areas. They knew all along they would not need to close them because they can still save the suggested £750,000 by just cutting hours and days of opening at all the sites. That is the only answer that stacks up and its a disgrace."