A SENIOR Cabinet member of Fenland District Council and the man responsible for the environment has tonight dramatically intervened in the row over waste collection at Wisbech market.

Councillor Peter Murphy, portfolio holder responsible for the environment, issued a strongly worded letter in which he advised Wisbech Town Council that stall holders are entitled to the same level of service that was previously provided by Fenland Council.

In a letter sent to this newspaper late today Cllr Murphy wrote: “I am concerned that the recent comments of Erbie Murat, the Wisbech Town Council clerk, may have misled some people about who is responsible for waste clearance in Wisbech Market Place.

“The position is perfectly clear. Fenland District Council operated Wisbech markets for many years. During that time market traders paid us a fee to cover the range of services we provided.

“When FDC transferred the Market Square to the Wisbech Town Council in July 2011, the town council took over full control of the markets. To help with the handover FDC entered into an arrangement to provide services for the town council that included waste clearance.

“The town council cancelled that contract and it ended last month. It is therefore now clearly its responsibility to deliver that service.

“Market traders are being asked by the town council to pay the same fees for their pitches as they paid to FDC, so they are entitled to the same level of service. It is up to the town council to engage a contractor to provide that.

“If the town council wishes to enter into a new contract with FDC to provide a waste clearance service on its behalf, we would, of course, be happy to discuss that.”