Wednesday 2 March 2011

Budget meeting and trying to save Rotters

Tonight, along with all the other budget debate material, I had my own amendment aimed at finding money to help Rotters.

Rotters is a community composting organisation based at Dutch Farm in Garston.  It collects green and kitchen waste and composts it, but it also does a lot of educational work around the environment.

It's been told it is losing its Council funding and so things look grim.

Tonight I tried to save it by suggesting the Council cancels the planned four editions of City Magazine ( a glossy colour mag delivered door to door).  That would save more than £100,000.  I wanted part of this money to help Rotters and the rest to go into the voluntary sector fund to potentially help other environmental organisations.

I had the support of the two Green Councillors and my own group, but sadly did not have support from the majority Labour administration.

However the relevant Cabinet member, Cllr Tim Moore, has agreed to try to help the project and is going to include me and my colleague Councillor Berni Turner in those meetings.

I really hope we can save it.  It's such a great place and although its not in my ward it does work in my ward and in an extensive South Liverpool area.

(Still think the City Magazine expenditure needs to go though - that amount could help another voluntary organisation and in these financially straightened times we shouldn;t spend on a glossy publication)

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