The date has been set for a special meeting of full council to discuss controversial waste proposals.

The LDRS reported recently how an informal virtual meeting of Cheshire West and Chester council had been planned to take place on Thursday to discuss the waste reforms.

A consultation was announced in January for a major reform of waste services across Cheshire West and Chester, which included charging £40-per-year for garden waste collections, as well as replacing existing 55-litre boxes with larger capacity recycle bins on wheels.

The plans had been due for discussion virtually, but any decision made would not have been legally-binding, with the chief executive having to use different powers to sign them off had that meeting gone ahead.

But eight Conservative councillors submitted a request for an ‘in person’ meeting instead, which has now been scheduled to go ahead on Tuesday, July 27 at Chester Racecourse.

The venue has been chosen to allow adequate social distancing for members and staff.

Cllr Margaret Parker, leader of the Conservative group, said: “This is the right decision and the Conservative group welcome the opportunity to scrutinise and debate this important strategy for the local authority in person and in full.”

The council’s Labour group had accused the Conservative councillors of ‘putting staff at risk’ for the sake of a ‘political stunt’ with the move, something Cllr Parker denied.

She said: “The Conservative councillors who submitted this request certainly didn’t do it with no regard for concern around public health. Many meetings of the local authority have been held in-person in recent weeks, including cabinet, planning, audit and governance, staffing and charter trustees.

“Our excellent team of officers have ensured these meetings have taken place in a professional and safe environment, with Covid-19 measures in place.

“We have every confidence that this special meeting will be similarly well organised and conducted.”

The new special meeting is set to start at 6pm.