Labour to charge for Green Bins

http://douglasmccall.mycouncillor.org.uk/2017/03/08/labour-to-charge-for-green-bins/douglas-with-green-bin-serious-l-small/ Cllr Douglas McCall spoke against the charging proposal for green bins.

The Labour Council is to press ahead and charge £33 per year for each green bin from the 1st September this year. In will be the same charge regardless as to whether you have a 140 litre or a 240 litre bin.

Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Cllr Douglas McCall, who introduced the green bins when Cabinet Member for the Environment when the Lib Dems ran the Council attended the Cabinet meeting to speak against the proposal.

He expressed his concerns that the proposals would:

1. Decrease recycling rates.

2. Increase in fly tipping.

3. Increase the amount of food and garden waste in black sacks.

4. Increase the tonnage of black sacks to the Waste Recovery Plant which will mean less capacity to use to charge other authorities.

5. Concern at what will happen to all the unused green bins. (The Council does not plan to collect them).

6. The garden waste vehicles will still have to cover the same number of roads, but will be collecting less. How will this impact the contract costs?

7. The changes don't start making money until year 3, but if the assumptions are wrong it could be year 4 or even year 5.

Labour decided to press on with their proposals saying that if they didn't there would be a £400,000 whole in their budget due to Conservative Government funding cuts.

Cllr McCall also expressed his concern about the proposals on those on low incomes and asked the Cabinet to look at bringing in a 50% discount for those on prescribed benefits. The Cabinet agreed to look at doing this.

A 23 litre Food Waste bin will be offered to all residents free of charge if they do not wish to pay to continue the garden waste service.