A global environmental group has reported a Northern Ireland council to the Audit Office to “investigate serious concerns” over its proposed new recycling policy.
Friends of the Earth has questioned if Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) followed due process concerning a multi-million pound waste management plan.
Details of the plan have been kept under wraps, with it having been during a confidential session in January.
Read more: Age NI chief concerned over Lisburn and Castlereagh new bin size collection system.
The local democracy service understands larger 360 litre recycling bins allowing mixed recyclables are to be introduced, a move that Friends of the Earth says should be phased out to end cross contamination.
Friends of the Earth director, James Orr, said: “LCCC cannot continue to hide behind closed doors. It has significant questions to answer about why it plans to spend millions of pounds of ratepayers’ money on a recycling system that it could soon to be advised against using due to the environmental impact.
“LCCC has rushed this change in behind closed doors before new regulations come into effect, which are designed to protect our environment and reduce our impact on the climate.
“Councils need to take urgent bold decisions in the battle against climate change, not backwards steps like this. Quite why LCCC has decided to take a decision, in secret, to adopt this approach at a cost of millions, remains a mystery.
“This decision not only defies the most basic common sense, but is also bad for the environment, bad for the economy and an affront to local ratepayers in Lisburn and Castlereagh. This needs to be investigated as a matter of urgency.”
A LCCC spokesperson responded: “In January, the proposed kerbside collection service was discussed in confidential session at a full meeting of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council.
“As this is an ongoing council matter and subject to due process, it is not possible to comment further at this time.”
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