Heywood Against Landfill

Posted By: Susan Emmott
Date Posted: 19/09/2007

One of the most satisfying things about being a local councillor is getting involved with local groups on different campaigns on issues that affect their local community.

One such group is Heywood Against Landfill (HALF). This local group was founded two years ago by local Heywood residents and Hopwood Hall Ward councillors. In particular, my colleague Carol Wardle has been heavily involved with the group. The group was formed to fight the landfill proposals on Hareshill Road in our ward and the group is still in existence to monitor and oppose any further landfill proposals throughout Heywood.

We received support from many people in Heywood and also from many people involved in politics locally. We were supported by Jim Dobbin MP, by fellow Labour Councillors from Heywood, by Councillor Robin Parker whose ward is adjacent to ours and, to their eternal credit, by Conservative Councillor Anne Metcalfe and former Conservative Councillor Ian Duckworth who both came to the public enquiry to show support. Anne Metcalfe gave an extremely eloquent and well-informed speech against the landfill at the enquiry.

So it comes as a bit of a surprise to be accused of “loving landfill” when my colleagues and I have a proven track record of campaigning against landfill. It is noteworthy that the person who accuses us of loving landfill, Councillor William Hobhouse, was nowhere to be seen during the campaign against landfill on Hareshill Road, nor indeed was the Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Councillor Wera Hobhouse. As Cabinet Member for Environment, we would have hoped that at the very least, she would turn up at the public enquiry to support Heywood residents against landfill, but sadly she did not. This we find odd, especially in the light of her self-proclaimed opposition to landfill.

However, that is not to say that William and Wera ignored residents of Hopwood Hall Ward totally. On the contrary, they were both out in the ward earlier this year putting out leaflets attacking me for my stance on fortnightly bin collections. For that I am eternally grateful to them, because before they put their leaflet out I only had 400 signatures against fortnightly collections. After they put their leaflet out, I had 1,300 signatures. As the councillor with Cabinet responsibility for doing the Council’s sums, I am sure William will be able to work that one out, although with the recent problems with uncollected Council Tax, I am not too sure.