Richmond could run on cooking oil- but government must cut the red tape

6.44.41pm GMT Tue 6th Nov 2007

The Council has just completed a successful trial proving it can run its entire fleet on recycled cooking oil. The move would save hundreds of tonnes of CO2 from being belched into the atmosphere each year..

So successful was the trial that the Council wrote to the Chancellor asking for a reduction in the duty the exchequer currently takes on this form of bio-diesel. The Chancellor has turned down the request so the council, which is determined to become the most sustainable in the country, is rolling up its sleeves.

Cllr Serge Lourie, Leader of the Council explains: "This trial was our latest initiative to find ways of running our borough in a more sustainable way. We were delighted with the outcome of the trial - it was successful beyond our expectations. We have also thoroughly researched our supply issues and are confident we can get all we need on a reliable basis. The one barrier standing in our way is cost. The current duty levied on bio-diesel from reused cooking oil makes it prohibitively expensive. To make the switch tomorrow would cost us an extra £60,000 - £100,000 per year in fuel costs. It was for this reason I wrote to the Chancellor to ask for a duty reduction that would make this a viable way forward for us and other councils across the country. I was disappointed to receive a detailed but ultimately unhelpful reply from Angela Eagle MP which outlined the government's position up to 2011 but did nothing to address our very specific request. We are convinced this scheme is worth implementing. That is why I am urging the government to reconsider its position on this. Come on Chancellor - cut a few pence from the duty on this niche clean fuel and let Richmond upon Thames and other local authorities get on with cleaning up our boroughs. Collectively local government can make a huge difference - but we need your help."