THE jump in landfill tax from £7 to £10 a tonne announced in the Budget has been condemned by Oxfordshire county councillors.

It is feared the increase could cost the county council as much as £800,000 a year - money which will have to come from an already slashed environment budget.

Green county councillor Craig Simmons said: "The Budget was all smoke and no fire. We agreed with the landfill tax being raised but it has got to be accompanied by funding for waste reduction programmes.

"It means lots of money for the Treasury but it won't benefit the environment."

Liberal Democrats and Conservatives on the council say Oxfordshire's environment budget has already been cut by almost £2m, or ten per cent, for 1998/99.

Tory leader Charles Shouler said: "The money which has been taken from our council will have to be found from extra cuts in road maintenance and other environmental services. That can only mean increasingly dangerous roads."

The council is to put signs on minor roads which it cannot afford to maintain, warning drivers they might be dangerous.

Tim Horton, for the Lib Dems, said the county was negotiating with district councils to encourage people to produce less waste. The county spends £7m a year on landfill disposal.

Labour's Ms Sylvia Tompkins said: "It doesn't look like good news. We are trying to minimise waste and there are all sorts of proposals but how far you can persuade people to do things is another question."

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