Urgent petition: HALT THE £3 BILLION WASTE CONTRACT FOR NORTH LONDON

The Pinkham Way Alliance has started the petition "Halt the £3 billion waste contract for North London" and needs your help to get it off the ground.

Will you take 30 seconds to sign it right now? And forward it to friends and neighbours in Harringay and beyond?  Here's the link:

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/halt-the-3-billion-waste-cont...

Here's why it's important:

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

The North London Waste Authority (NLWA) and its seven North London member councils are about to commit to a 30-year £3 billion pound waste contract.

If you live in Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington or Waltham Forest - this will affect YOU!

IN TIMES OF AUSTERITY - MONEY IS WASTED

If the contract goes ahead, residents will be picking up the bill for decades.

Meanwhile Government funding decreases and local services are cut. 

Over £30m has already been spent on consultants and the purchase of a valuable 16-acre nature conservation site, to build an immense waste processing plant. A plant which the NLWA now tells us is not needed.

£30m would fund 7,000-8,000 primary school places.

"Botched deals...masterminded by unelected waste authorities, are still having long-term consequences for many council taxpayers, causing service cuts elsewhere and higher taxes." Brandon Lewis MP, Local Government Minister.

RECYCLING UNDER THREAT

The contract is based on waste predictions for 30 years ahead – absurdly long and already shown to be wrong, based on guesstimates.  The contractor is guaranteed fixed amounts of rubbish for treatment for all these years.

If we don't produce enough rubbish we will be FINED.  The very people telling us to prevent waste and recycle more will actually fine us if we don't produce enough rubbish!

BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

To avoid fines Kent council has sent recycling to be burnt. 

North London councils are already setting money aside against future difficulties with the contract.

The NLWA is unelected, and not accountable to taxpayers and our elected councils. Central Government scrutiny ended three years ago.

WHAT DO WE WANT? 

We’re now calling for the Authority and our Councils to halt the waste contract and to re-address the issue of waste seriously, realistically and openly. PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION and demonstrate to the NWLA that they cannot waste tax payers' money and disregard the environment.