Southend Council talks garbage!

Isn't it the case - one idiotic council official keeping the flag flying for all the other idiotic council officials. It's a bit like passing the baton in a relay race. The latest council official to wave the flag around is Simon Crowther, who descibes himself as Group Manager for Waste at Southend Council. Mr.Crowther knows a backsliding council taxpayer when he sees one. Or rather, when he hears of one. Mr. Crowther is not really interested in facts. He's more into form-filling and getting stooges to knock on doors with asinine questions in hand.

Mark Howard runs a bicycle shop in Southend. He recycles all his spare parts and stores surplus materials such as cardboard boxes and old pedals away for re-use, while bent steel or aluminium frames that can't be salvaged are sold for scrap. So, because Mr. Howard is a model recycler with no wastage, he gets a visit from the council. They cannot believe he doesn't have any waste. Mr. Howard said, "An officer came round but he didn't look round or ask any questions. He just handed me another letter which said I must pay a fixed penalty. They didn't give me a chance to show them what I do - which is better than the council contractor's service because their waste goes to landfill." The council's contractors are Cory, who get £80 for five bagfulls of rubbish. Incentive indeed. Mr.Crowther basically doesn't believe Mr.Howard. He says, "Mr Howard is required under the Environmental (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991 to produce evidence as to how he legally and lawfully disposes of commercial waste under his control. Mr Howard has been issued with a fixed-penalty fine due to the fact he failed to provide this evidence."

Come off it, Mr.Crowther. Your man failed to ascertain the facts, came back to you with some tale and Mr.Howard gets slapped with a fine. Nice work if you can get it, I suppose. All that Southend Council will get out of this is one, to look petty-minded and vindictive and two, to face an unnecessary court case.

What an idiot!