Sending three council officers to UK conference a ‘waste of money’ says Christian

The leader of Douglas Council says sending three officers to the UK for a conference on recycling was a ‘waste of money’.

Last week (11 Dec) David Christian told councillors it was ‘over the top’ to send the trio on the trip, which cost the authority £968.

His comments came after a number of members asked why the visit went ahead, despite it being voted down by the Environmental Services Committee.

Mr Christian said the visit to the Recycling and Waste Management Exhibition in Birmingham was signed off by officers, who felt it was an ‘opportunity for them to gain required knowledge’.

He admitted sending all three civil servants was excessive, and said in future, all off-Island trips would need committee approval.

Douglas Council is the largest waste management authority on the Island.