A City of York Council spokesperson said the hazardous waste material had to be acknowledged and its report to the national Health and Safety Executive approved before it could be removed. The city's opposition Liberal Democrat group claimed the timescale would not be the same if the fly-tip had been in York city centre and rural communities deserve the same standard of service as other parts of York. Recommended reading:However, Labour's executive member for the environment at City of York Council accused the opposition party of attempting to use the incident to "stoke division where there is none." "Residents deserved a straightforward explanation as to why hazardous waste had been left there for eight weeks and why it had taken so long to remove. "Instead, the executive member chose to spend part of her response celebrating Hull Road Park receiving a Green Flag Award.