THE Lib Dems have hit out at a Conservative pledge to withdraw the planning application to build a waste transfer site in South Cerney, calling it “electioneering”.

If the application goes through, the site at Packer's Leaze, Broadway Lane, will be used to process up to 40,000 tonnes of waste.

Cotswold District Council (CDC) leader Lynden Stowe said he would make withdrawing the application the first thing he did if re-elected.

Cllr Juliet Layton has been Lib Dem district councillor for South Cerney for the past four years and is standing again in the upcoming elections.

She said: "The timing of this statement from the Conservatives smacks of electioneering.

"In June 2011 Lynden Stowe led a special meeting of the cabinet at CDC in which the press and public were excluded, during this meeting the Conservatives voted to use this former SITA site as a waste transfer station.

"They remain committed to this and Cllr Stowe's statement does nothing to change the position."

Cllr Stowe has been leader of CDC for nine years.

He said: "The decision was in fact taken by all councillors at a full council meeting in September 2013 which included Cllr Layton.

"Lib Dems clearly, can’t make their minds up – they complain if we withdraw the application and complain if we don’t.

"Anyway, I’m not interested in what the Lib Dems say, I’m more interested in what the people of South Cerney say.”