YORK council bosses will throw down the gauntlet to the Government to refund more than £9 million in landfill tax.

Liberal Democrat councillors will call on Chancellor Gordon Brown to return the money so York's recycling services can be improved.

It follows the announcement by the Government that from April 1, 2008, the landfill tax will go up by £8 a tonne each year indefinitely.

City of York Council will also be asked to note the millions of pounds in fines that have been avoided because York has dramatically cut the amount of waste being sent to landfill.

The fines, set by Government at £150 per tonne over a permitted tonnage level, would have seen York residents pay up to £2 million last year and £3 million this year if steps had not been taken to boost recycling.

Coun Andrew Waller, Executive member for neighbourhood services, said: "Over the last four years we have tripled recycling from a shameful 12 per cent to more than 38 per cent on the latest figures.

"This is despite attempts by Labour and amazingly Green Party councillors to delay or even stop some recycling schemes. Labour councillors may be trying to get more money to Gordon Brown in Landfill Tax to help him out, but the Green Party councillors should hang their heads in shame."

"This financial year we have set a target of 40 per cent. More households have now been added to the scheme at Sovereign Park, Acomb which brings us closer to 90 per cent of all York households having recycling collected."

Labour group leader Coun Dave Merrett said: "The reality is we have supported the extension of recycling.

"The difficulties we had were over the failure of the Lib Dems to consult people properly over some of the changes made, notably the switch to alternative week bin collections."

Green Councillor Andy D'Agorne said his party had only opposed the alternate weekly collection aspect of the kerbside recycling system when the Lib Dems had failed to provide cardboard and plastic collection."