The fallout from the closure of the Beckfield Lane Waste and Recycling Centre continues as the Liberal Democrats question information given by Labour Cabinet Member, Dafydd Williams.

At last week’s Extraordinary Council, Labour justified the unpopular axing of Beckfield Lane by arguing it was earmarked for closure because it was less accessible than the two other sites in York, Towthorpe and Hazel Court.

Coun Williams, Labour Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhood Services, lauded the accessibility of the Towthorpe site by claiming that it only had steps leading to one skip, the landfill skip. In fact as pictures below show, there are steps leading to other skips at the site including for wood and garden waste. Liberal Democrat Councillors are today demanding that Coun Williams clarifies and if necessary withdraws his remarks.

Coun Ann Reid, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Communities and Neighbourhood, commented:

“It is clear that the Labour Cabinet Member gave misleading and inaccurate information during the debate on the closure of the Beckfield Lane site. A key pillar of Labour’s argument was that Beckfield should close because it was not accessible due to steps leading to the skips. Coun Williams compared it to the other sites in York and claimed Towthorpe was accessible and should stay open because there were only steps to one skip at the site. This simply isn’t true and undermines Labour’s argument for closure.

“I am writing to Coun Williams to ask him to clarify and if necessary withdrawal his remarks; however, there is a wider point. If a Cabinet Member has misled, deliberately or not, councillors during a debate should the subsequent vote stand? Clearly, Labour members voted through this proposal based on false information.”