Nick Clegg - Making Money out of Rubbish in Oadby and Wigston!

Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, made a special surprise detour to Oadby & Wigston Borough Council last week to praise the Liberal Democrat run Council for its innovative work.

The Council has recently won £1.6 million from the Government in order to develop its waste service to include, a weekly kerbside food waste collection service, a new residents compost reward scheme, an innovative recycling promotions campaign 'My Street' and improvements to the recycling picking line at the Council's depot.

This money was awarded because the Council continues to be one of the minority in the country that provides a weekly refuse collection service to all its residents. This news comes hot on the heels of Oadby & Wigston being awarded access to nearly £2.5 million of European (ERDF) money to help with the economy in the borough last year which it is on course to take full advantage of and spend.

The Deputy Prime Minister spent some time on the picking line talking with council staff. He said afterwards.

"This is a really impressive set up. The council has turned a loss making service of over £80,000 a year into a profit making business of bringing in over £300,000 a year which enables it to keep front line services going in these very difficult times. I am particularly impressed that this has so far enabled the council to continue to offer free shoppers car parking in its town centres, one of only a handful in the entire country, which is key in supporting local shops, businesses and jobs. Residents told the council this is what they wanted and that is what they have done."

He went on to say "I also understand that the council is the first in the country to introduce a two weekly collection services for old cooking oil from every household - amazing"