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September 2011 No.373
Brome & Oakley Community Recycling Centre to Reopen Brome Industrial Estate, Brome, Eye, Suffolk IP23 7HN Opens on Monday 5 September 201l Opening hours: 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday. l0am to 4pm Sundays and bank holiday Items accepted free of charge include: Bikes Electrical goods Plastics Books Bric-a-brac Cooking oil Furniture Glass Tins Gas bottles Mobile phones Paper and cardboard Soil and hardcore CDs and Videos Cartons Toner cartridges Batteries Metals Clothes & textiles Wood Garden waste Confidential waste paper There will be a charge of £6 (including VAT) for each car or domestic type trailer. If you sort and recycle your waste it won’t cost to dispose of it. Background: When budget cuts meant the council-run Brome household waste recycling centre was threatened with closure, the community rallied round to keep a service running. Nobody wanted the site to close, but Suffolk County Council simply couldn't afford to keep all 18 of its sites open. People said they would rather pay, than lose the service, but legally this was not an option open to the council. However, others can charge, so Eye Town Council and Brome & Oakley Parish Council have worked with local Firm Bolton Brothers Recycling & Waste Management to start a new scheme, offering free disposal on most items, but with a new charge tor anything going to landfill. This will encourage people to really think about what they throw away and recycle as much as possible. Suffolk is already one ot the top recycling areas in the country, with over halt our household waste recycled. The aim is to get to 60% by 2015. We hope you will continue to help us achieve that ambitious target. Phone: 01473 830948. Web: wvvw.boltonbros.co.uk For information on recycling visit: Eu/.sullolkrecycling.org.uk
Will you take the Budget Challenge? Community groups and residents across Babergh and Mid Suffolk are being encouraged to take part in Babergh and Mid Suffolk’s Budget Challenge. Like many councils, Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils are facing severe cuts in budgets for next year. Reductions in the amount of money received from the Government, increases in inflation and demand on services, means that by working together, £2.8m in savings need to be found in order to balance the books for 2012/13. This could come from savings or by looking at ways to increase further income. Babergh District Cllr Nick Ridley, Chairman of the Strategic & Financial Planning Task Group explained that, “this is not a formal consultation, rather it is an open call for ideas to help us balance our books in tough times. Never before have either of our councils reached out to organisations, community groups and residents so early in the budget process. We are totally serious about getting them involved in coming up with their ideas which we can then evaluate in the autumn before drawing up detailed budget proposals”. During August and September, both councils are encouraging residents to take part in the budget challenge by answering five questions about the way in which the council currently works and how services might run in the future. All responses received will be considered by both councils when looking at the budget in more detail between now and the end of the year. To take part you can find out further information online: www.babergh.gov.uk or www.midsuffolk.gov.uk or by speaking with your local district councillor Stuart Gemmill Tel: 01379 384518 or email: stuart.gemmill@tiscali.co.uk Stuart Gemmill