Labour have called for clarity over who will take responsibility for climate change at Lichfield District Council after a cabinet member resigned.
Cllr Ashley Yeates stepped down yesterda (9th May) to “focus on his entertainment business” in the wake of the controversial roll-out of new recycling bags across Lichfield and Burntwood.
He will be replaced by Cllr Liz Little, who will take on responsibility for the joint waste service.
But confusion continues over who will pick up the recycling baton which had previously been part of Cllr Yeates’ portfolio.
Cllr Steve Norman, leader of the Labour opposition group and chair of the council’s climate emergency task group, said:
“The email that the leader, Cllr Doug Pullen has sent out, says that his colleague has ‘resigned’, but that he’d asked Cllr Liz Little to join the cabinet to take sole responsible for the joint waste service.
“Does this mean that she will not be taking on the climate emergency portfolio?”
Cllr Steve Norman, Lichfield District Council
Cllr Norman said a proposed meeting of the climate task group where the cabinet member responsible climate change had been due to attend to answer questions had already been been delayed before the resignation announcement due to uncertainty over the long-term future of Cllr Yeates.
Cllr Pullen said a tweak to cabinet portfolios would be confirmed in due course.
“We’ve made a commitment for Lichfield District Council to be carbon neutral by 2035.
“We also need to make progress on a new leisure centre, redevelopment of the Birmingham Road sit, a building design code to improve the quality of new housing, and increase our work with the voluntary and third sectors.
“There’s plenty of work to do and I’ll be doing a minor shuffle of portfolios at the council annual general meeting next week to ensure we’ve got the right people in place to do this work.”
Cllr Doug Pullen, Lichfield District Council
