Disabled litter pickers will have to pay to carry on

A group of disabled volunteers may have to pay to keep the district litter free

A GROUP of disabled people who travelled the district picking up litter will have to pay for the privilege in the future under the new care system rules brought in by West Berkshire Council.

Due to cuts in the adult social care budget, the council no longer supports the Rangers Official Active Response (ROAR) group and its group of litter picking disabled volunteers from the Phoenix Centre in Newbury.

Every other Friday, the group travelled the district to areas the council's teams rarely got a chance to target, such as Snelsmore Common, to pick up litter and carry out woodland regeneration work.

A public question asked by Greenham parish councillor Diane Smith at a full meeting of West Berkshire Council on Thursday, March 3, enquired as to why the council had decided to cut the funding, which had in turn caused the end of the sessions.

The executive member for community care due to answer the question, Joe Mooney (Con, Birch Copse), was not present, so Hilary Cole (Con, Chieveley) answered on his behalf.

She said the council would look to Phoenix Centre staff to form their own business, or hope for an existing organisation to take over the project, and then the clients could use their personal budgets to take part.

Mrs Smith's supplementary question was to ask the council if it was fair that disabled people would now have to pay to pick up litter.

Mrs Cole replied: “If they choose to they can spend their money how they wish. If they choose to spend their money on outdoor environment then we should allow them that choice.”

Speaking after the meeting, Mrs Smith said she did not accept the response.

“They are providing a dual service, clearing the rights of way, they are doing a very valuable job. To suggest these people should pay from their personal budgets, who would want to pay to pick up rubbish?”

Newbury resident Fiona Walker won a Civic Award from Newbury Town Council in 2009 for her community work to improve the condition and access to West Berkshire's footpaths, which she did with the help of the ROAR disabled group.

The saving will total £44,000.

She said she was dismayed by the decision to kill off such a useful and positive service.

“If you achieve anything in your life it is incredibly special, for these people it was an achievement. It got them out of their houses, and people would stop and talk to them. It will be very sad if the service stops.”

The council have confirmed that the move will save £44,000.