Veteran Cllr Hussain Akhtar was handed a role on the Environment Portfolio as Labour remained in control of the council, despite only having four more seats than the opposition 4BWD Group following the May elections.
In July 2024, he accepted a civic penalty as an alternative to facing a criminal trial after a “van load of rubbish”, mainly household items, was dumped on a bonfire at Witton Park days before the Guy Fawkes’ Night celebration in November 2021.
He was suspended by Labour while proceedings went on, and also lost his seat in the time between the offence and paying the £400 fine.
Leader of the council, Cllr Phil Riley, defended the appointment, and said Cllr Akhtar had ‘learned from his mistakes’, and residents in the Shear Brow and Corporation would have ‘noted’ a focus on issues relating to littering during Cllr Akhtar’s May election campaign.
Cllr Akhtar was the only new candidate to win a new seat for Labour as the party lost out to both the 4BWD Group and Reform UK.
The veteran councillor made a shock comeback at the May elections, saying he was ‘proud’ to have returned as a councillor and had ‘never stopped helping people’.
The Environment Portfolio, which is managed by Cllr Jim Casey, covers, among others, issues relating to waste, recycling services, parks, noise complaints, fly-tipping enforcement, and local air quality monitoring.
The 4BWD Group said it was ‘deeply concerned and profoundly disappointed’ by the Labour administration’s decision to appoint Cllr Akhtar to the Environment Portfolio.
The group called it an ‘insult to the intelligence of local residents’ and said it opposed the appointment.
A statement read: “It is common knowledge that Blackburn with Darwen Council has previously had to pursue formal environmental enforcement and legal action regarding fly-tipping and waste issues tied directly to Councillor Akhtar.
“At a time when our streets are plagued by litter, and residents are demanding ruthless action against fly-tipping and waste crime, this appointment sends a shocking message: standard operating procedures and accountability apparently do not apply to the ruling party’s inner circle.
“The Environment Portfolio demands a leader whose record on these exact issues is completely beyond reproach, someone who commands the respect of our enforcement teams and the wider community.”
Council leader, Cllr Phil Riley, said: “Cllr Akhtar has made mistakes in the past and he is well aware of that.
“He has learned from his mistakes, as anyone who followed his successful election campaign will have noticed when he concentrated his efforts on the litter and environmental issues in the Shear Brow and Corporation Park.
“He is determined to add his considerable energy to the Environment Department’s work to encourage residents to take pride in their local areas, to keep the streets clear of litter, to recycle as much as possible, and to act as a channel so that the demands of being a good citizen are understood by the residents of the borough.”
Cllr Akhtar, a former mayor who was first elected to the council back in 1997, was approached for comment.
