THE leader of the council’s opposition party believes the authority should be growing its services, not cutting them.

Linda Allport-Hodge, leader of Basildon Ukip, defended the vote to axe proposed changes to waste collection services.

Mrs Allport-Hodge also hit out at the consultation process employed by the authority, calling it “misleading”.

She said: “Each and every councillor was bombarded with objections from their residents, including how the consultation was handled.

“The title was ‘your waste services are changing’, that does not suggest we are consulting, it suggests the deal has been done.

“We should be setting up our own waste collection company, a bit like we have done with our house builder Sempra.

“Then we will be able to develop and grow, and not just cut and slash, which seems to be the answer from the Tories time and again.”

Mrs Allport-Hodge has also called for “sensible debate” on how the council can meet its budget.

She added that the budget should be “cross party” due to the council having no overall majority.