Hounslow excluded from ban on shopping bags

12.00.00am GMT Mon 3rd Dec 2007

Shopping bags could soon be banned across London - but not in Hounslow

Thanks to an error by Hounslow Council, the Bill being put to Parliament by London's 32 local councils to ban disposable shopping bags in the Capital will now not apply to the London Borough of Hounslow.

The Bill, together with two others granting councils across London a range of new powers, was formally deposited in Parliament last week, but it has now emerged that Hounslow Council failed to pass the necessary resolution to enable the proposed law to apply in the borough. If the Bill becomes law, Hounslow will be the only part of Greater London where shops can carry on giving out disposable bags. The other 32 councils in London all managed to pass the necessary resolution; only Hounslow failed to do so by the required date.

Cllr Stephen Knight, Liberal Democrat London Assembly candidate for South West London (which includes Hounslow) said:

"This is an extraordinary cock-up by Hounslow Council. The Conservative Cabinet Member for the Environment Barbara Reid was proudly explaining the new Bill in the local press only a week ago! Every other council in London managed to pass the resolution, so why not Hounslow?"

Cllr Dakers, Leader of Hounslow Liberal Democrats, added:

"This is one more illustration of the lack of urgency in Hounslow's Tory-led administration around tackling climate change and protecting our environment. For all the fine words and policy, unless more investment follows, further mistakes like this will happen. All of us, one way or another, have a stake in the future of our planet and should be very concerned."