THURROCK Council has made a u-turn on some of the cuts it was imposing on its environment team.

Council leader Councillor John Kent has admitted cuts to the team, which included the ending of the brown bin service, “were too deep and too quick” and will now look to analyse and revisit where cuts might fall.

He again highlighted the £10 million shortfall in the council’s government grant, and that he’ll be asking the Cleaner, Greener, Safer Overview and Scrutiny committee to analyse exactly what needs doing.

Mr Kent said: “We need to accept that some of the cuts imposed on the environment team were too deep and too quick. While we still need to make savings because of the £10 million cut in grant we had this year, we do need to revisit where those cuts might fall.

“For example it quickly became clear the state of some roads and streets were unacceptable – both to the public and the council – so we acted quickly to improve the situation.

“The question of grass-cutting and maintaining verges has also been brought up; and we’ll find a way to ensure these are brought back up to standard too.

“And then there’s the question of the brown bin collections. Yes the council as a whole agreed to ending the service and charging for those who wanted it to continue. That will not be happening.”

Conservative leader Councillor Rob Gledhill welcomed the review of the “ill thought out reductions in environmental service” but was concerned the u-turn will now result in pressures in other services.

He desputed though his party agreeing to the cuts in first place.

Mr Gledhill said: “Yet again we have the Labour leader trying to rewrite history, this time on the agreement to his budget and way he prioritises taxpayers money being spent.

“The 46 percent cut to street cleaning and charging for brown bin service was not agreed by the whole Council; it was first agreed by the Labour Cabinet and then agreed by Labour and UKIP at the budget item at February's full council meeting.

“At the time Thurrock Conservatives made it clear that we would not be agreeing the budget when all that was in front of us were headline figures for services, not itemised cuts that could be properly discussed by all members.

He added: “I am sure this will be one of many such u-turns this year, further highlighting that the current leadership being propped up in a minority administration will be failing residents and further damaging the reputation of the Council.”