Shops must reduce wasteful packaging – Upper Calder Valley Liberal Democrats

Local Liberal Democrats have called on local MP Chris McCafferty to back a Bill presented by Liberal Democrat Shadow Local Government Secretary Andrew Stunell MP to require all large shops to accept packing returned by customers.

Packaging typically costs a familiy £470 each year, one sixth of their food budgets, according to the Government’s own Waste Resources Action Programme.

Local Lib Dem, John Beacroft-Mitchell, said, “It is worrying that over half the household waste produced by homes in Calderdale every year is from packaging. It costs families the equivalent of two months’ grocery bills just to pay for throw away wrapping and packaging.
“Local Liberal Democrats are backing this Bill that will make large stores like Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda accept packaging returned by customers.
“The aim is to get retailers to put pressure on suppliers to cut packaging with the result of less waste.
“This is good for the environment, good for council costs and good for waste disposal.”

Commenting after presenting the Retail Packaging Recycling Bill to Parliament, Andrew Stunell MP, said,
“Commercial wrapping and packaging is very difficult to recycle, particularly at the household level, where quantities are quite small and very diverse.
“My Bill puts the responsibility back on the retailer. They will soon find out just how difficult much of it is to recycle because of different materials being bonded together.
“Similar laws in Germany and Switzerland quickly resulted in retailers putting pressure on suppliers and manufacturers to cut down on packaging, saving both money and land-fill.”

Damage to our crumbling canal network is going unrepaired due to cuts by the Labour government.

£60 million has been axed from the British Waterways budget over the next five years by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). 180 job cuts have also been made to the department. This has led to a drastic reduction in the maintenance of the canal network.

read more from "Labour cuts threaten Rochdale canal"

Dear Editor

I hope that the “Labour spokesperson for Luddendenfoot” (formerly the Hebden Bridge Labour Party spokesperson for art) has not offended the several community groups within the Luddendenfoot Ward with his naive, critical letter within your pages on 20th December. He seems totally unaware of these diverse communities which do not form a “town” like Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd.

read more from "Labour questions need Labour answers (Letter to the Halifax Courier)"

Following a number of incidents, local councillors and residents have called for developers to address safety fears over work on the site of the old Mytholmroyd Medical Centre.

The demolition of the centre which began on Friday has so far led to a power cut affecting many homes and businesses in Mytholmroyd, a site left inadequately protected from trespass and arson over the bonfire weekend and damage to trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order.

Local councillor John Beacroft-Mitchell said: “It has become clear that the developers have little regard for Mytholmroyd, either in the design of the proposed apartments or in the way they are carrying out this development.”

“All work must be stopped on site until the area is cleared and made safe. I visited the site on Tuesday and witnessed a large chunk being gouged out of one of the trees by heavy machinery. The developers then drove off leaving fencing so poorly erected I was able to walk onto the site unhindered.”

Local residents, supported by Liberal Democrat representatives on Calderdale and Hebden Royd Councils are objecting to the proposal for 16 flats on the site on the grounds that it would have an overbearing effect on surrounding homes and does nothing to respect or enhance the character and appearance of existing buildings or the surrounding area.

“It is time that these developers realised that they cannot simply impose inappropriate designs and development on our community in order to make a fast buck. We welcome investment in our area but this must be sensitive to the requirements of local residents and businesses.”