WIRRAL Council has said there are still no plans to bring food waste recycling to the borough – despite a plea from a Labour councillor to introduce the green scheme.

During a full council meeting on Monday, Cllr Stephen Doughty asked all parties to come together as one to push for food waste to be recycled, adding that all councils in Wales already run similar schemes.

He said: "We have challenges going into the future with climate change.

"Already we see about waste recycling targets.

"Is it inevitable we face the need to do food waste collection?

"People are starting to make a political hot potato out of it.

"I would like to see the council come together to address this matter in a sensible way where we will need to collect food waste to hit our recycling targets.

"To our shame as English councils, all Welsh councils collect food waste and their government subsides it because it recognises the importance of it.

"Can I call upon the council to call upon all parties to face the issue that we need to collect food waste?"

Responding to the question, cabinet member for environment, Cllr Matthew Patrick said: "In Wales there's a government subsidy issued to the councils as it's quite an expensive endeavour to go and collect this. "I'm really keen for us to be forward thinking in everything we do as a council and I'm really keen for us to increase our recycling rates."

He reiterated that no plans were in place for food waste recycling, adding: "But I guess we can keep recycling that hot potato, so if that counts in some way towards our target then we will keep doing that."

The council previously said the move would initially cost £3m extra plus around £1.8m per year from then on – and it could "simply" not afford it.