County councillors have questioned the administration’s decision to spend millions on new recycling trucks, after blocking a bid for more money for ‘struggling’ local school budgets.

Monmouthshire County Council’s decision to spend £4.2m on 26 new recycling trucks has come under scrutiny after a Labour bid asking for an ‘emergency’ £1m to be pumped into local schools was slapped down by the council.

One councillor said the Conservative administration had money to spend after it budgeted for a cut over two per cent, yet received half that from Welsh Government.

Councillor Tudor Thomas, of Abergavenny’s Priory Ward, said the need for extra school funding was ‘serious’, with some schools struggling to pay for transport to school sporting events.

“I find it somewhat ironic that they refuse to give an extra million to schools, but in the same breath they give £4.2m for a load of shiny new trucks,” he said.

“We are in a position now where some schools cannot afford to send their sports teams out to play matches because they can’t pay for the minibuses. There should be enough money to do that.”

Mr Thomas said that many residents in his ward have expressed concerns over tightened school budgets, a reality he said could stoke inequality.

“For residents in my ward, this is one of their main concerns; it was when i was canvassing, too. You have some very hardworking people in Priory, and across the town, and they are concerned about the lack of money.

“If schools had to start charging for football and rugby events, well, the ‘haves’ will have it and the ‘have-nots’ won’t. It will make many kids feel bad about themselves. We need to invest in our youngsters,” he said.

Mr Thomas added that he was ‘fully in favour’ of recycling, and did vote for the measure, before claiming MCC had money ‘squirrelled away’. ?

“Whatever they say, they’ve got money in reserve as they never go into the red. They didn’t last year and they won’t next year. They have money which they’re not prepared to use,” he said. “I’m not saying spend everything, but schools need a break.”

MCC decided to renew the recycling truck fleet to new models which separate the rubbish collected, after finding that mixed recyclables often became ‘contaminated’ and commanded a lower resale value, with a high percentage of recycled glass ending up as ‘glassphalt’ aggregate for roads.

The new trucks, the council claims, will ensure more recycled material is transferred at a higher return for MCC, as glass, plastic, paper and metals will all be separated from the roadside – avoiding the cross-contamination which can sink the sale price.

A increase of around twenty jobs could also be in the pipeline, though councillors did not confirm specific numbers, whilst adding that the total cost could be lower, depending on the purchasing outcome.

The fight over budgets looks set to define the current administration, with a Labour party growing in confidence its ability to extract concessions from the Conservatives.

Labour Councillor Martyn Groucutt, said he firmly supported the recycling measures, and that the county council was ‘not to blame’ for budget-shrinking austerity. That, he said, was firmly on the doorstep of Downing Street.

“Monmouthshire is making a commitment through investing in a new fleet of vehicles to promote recycling at a time when money is very scarce.

“Our children need a green future as well as a first-class education. I actually feel sorry for the local Conservative leadership because they have to put into practice the policies of austerity that has made life increasingly hard for many people.

“David Davies and the rest of the Westminster Conservatives are the people who we must blame,” he said.

“They will never have to feel the real impact of services that have to be cut. Those who suffer from the cuts are those who need most support. In our schools, it is most often the needy and vulnerable pupils whose performance lags behind that of their classmates.” ?

?Mr Groucutt, a governor at King Henry VIII school, said the politics of austerity threatened to entrench inequality amongst school pupils.

“The really sad thing is that we know that these children need more help and support to help them catch up, but the money isn’t being made available,” he said.

“School budgets are being cut year-on-year in real terms and schools are losing the support staff, as well as teachers, who could be making such a difference. Theresa May’s government must bring an end to austerity, and in the name of common humanity, help local authorities to meet the needs of its most vulnerable families.”

Councillor Richard John, the Conservative cabinet member for children and young people, said, “We recognise that school budgets are facing challenges and that’s why we’re protecting schools from the cuts imposed on Monmouthshire from the Welsh Government and why we’ve promised to fully fund the one per cent teachers’ pay award.

“The greatest threat to school budgets next year comes from the Welsh Government’s proposal to cut funding for the Education Improvement Grant by £14million – a grant which funds teachers and teacher training.

“I pay tribute to the hard work of teachers and students across Monmouthshire, who, despite challenging finances, are continuing to achieve some of the very highest school standards in the country.”