There are calls for the man in charge of Ashford’s rubbish and recycling to resign.

At the end of last week, Ashford Borough Council’s made the decision to stop collecting garden waste separately from rubbish.

The council will send green waste collected from homes in Ashford and Tenterden for incineration in Allington, near Maidstone, instead of composting it.

Following the decision made at Thursday evening’s meeting of the council’s executive, Cllr Neil Bell (Con), portfolio holder responsible for waste management, said: “Everyone can be assured that garden waste will be contributing to the production of energy not creating more landfill.”

Richard Boden, who runs WyeCycle which collects recycling in Wye and Brook, questions that claim.

Mr Boden said: “I’ve been co-ordinating WyeCycle for 20 years now and I can’t think of any decision the borough council has made in all that time that’s made me so angry because of its complete lack of environmental and economic rational.

“Cllr Bell’s argument is that it costs £300,000 a year to provide collection and by ceasing the collection they’re going to save that money.

“But what’s the cost of collecting garden waste and sending it 25 miles up the motorway?”

“They say they’ll collect wet bags of garden waste and that’s going to generate electricity.

“I would love Cllr Bell to explain how it is of environmental benefit to take garden waste on a 50 mile round trip and set fire to it.”

Mr Boden said: “The reasons given for stopping the collection just show that Cllr Bell doesn’t start to understand any of the issues surrounding this subject.

“You have to conclude that he isn’t up to the job.”

For more on this story, see the Kentish Express, out Thursday.