Bath MP Warns Local Councils of Abandoned Cars Crisis

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 20th Jul 2004

Don Foster MP has today contacted the Chief Executive of Bath and North East Somerset Council after he discovered that local authorities are on the brink of a crisis that will lead to an abandoned car mountain growing at up to 45,000 cars per week across the nation.

The British Metals Recycling Association, this morning informed Sue Doughty, the Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Spokesperson, that the sector would cease processing all scrap vehicles as of today.

Requirements stemming from the 1999 Landfill Directive make it illegal from today to dispose of hazardous waste in the same sites as non-hazardous waste. Uncertainty over how the residual waste from recycling vehicles should be classified (about 27% of the total mass) means that for the foreseeable future the residue will not be taken by either hazardous or non-hazardous sites.

Don Foster has written to the Secretaries of State at DEFRA and DTI, and the Deputy Prime Minster, calling for them to give their personal attention to the immediate resolution of the problem.

Don said:

"This will make the fridge mountain look like a mole hill. With nowhere for local authorities or industry to store the vehicles they will simply start clogging up our streets.

"The Government cruised towards today's deadline with no map, no navigation from the Secretary of State, and ignoring all the warning signs on the way. Resolving this problem must be a top priority as the consequences for our councils and our local environment are unthinkable."

Don Foster said:

"This continuing confusion needs to be resolved quickly. With over 15,000 registered vehicles in BANES alone, the government needs to take a lead in this issue and not be the back seat driver"