Bid to block fortnightly black bin collections for Hull is thrown out
ATTEMPTS to halt plans for fortnightly black bin collections in Hull have failed.
Lib Dem and Conservative councillors "called in" the decision after the Labour-controlled cabinet decided to move to fortnightly bin collections.
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Job cuts: The move to fortnightly collections will see jobs lost.
The opposition councillors claimed many people in the city were not in favour of the change, with just 26 per cent of 20,000 residents surveyed wanting fortnightly collections for blue and black bins.
The move will help save the council £1m as it looks to make £33m of savings over the next two years.
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Councillors at an overview and scrutiny committee meeting yesterday voted to reject the call-in by six votes to four.
Lib Dem councillor Claire Thomas put forward the case to call in the decision and force the administration to consider other options.
She is concerned the matter was rushed through cabinet without being referred to the likes of the Environment and Transport Scrutiny Committee.
She said: "This is clearly a decision that affects everyone in the city and people talk about this all the time.
"I am shocked those behind the decision didn't feel there was any point in referring the matter to any other committees.
"I find the idea that scrutiny doesn't have a role to play very concerning.
"I can't understand why there are no other available options. Surely there are others that could save money."
Cllr Thomas also raised concerns over the speed in which the decision was made and why it wasn't in the administration's forward plan, which documents when major policy decisions are scheduled to be made.
She said: "I don't understand what the urgency is and why this wasn't included in the forward plan.
"There is no indication of the number of job losses and there is a lack of other information to make this a safe decision."
But portfolio holder for the environment Councillor Martin Mancey believes the move to call in the decision was politically motivated.
He said: "Cllr Thomas has not made any alternative suggestions that will help save the council £1m.
"This is adopting a purely negative approach.
"I think the decision taken by cabinet is the right one.
"There will be a significant communication exercise between now and the implementation date to let the public know exactly what is going on.
"As well as saving money, this will encourage recycling."
The move to end the traditional weekly collection system for non-recyclable household waste bins was decided earlier this month.
The savings will come from shedding jobs in the refuse department and operating fewer refuse vehicles.
The exact number of jobs under threat has not been announced and will now be subject to negotiations with trade unions.
Comments
by SuperRick
Saturday, October 20 2012, 10:33AM
“Recycling avoids land-fill taxes/fines. A bin collection every week saves fuel and traffic. If your bin is full, you cannot recycle. I pass many houses in Cott road and you can see when the lids are open, that they are pretty much full of plastic bottles, cardboard and glass - the easiest things to recycle!
I lived in Germany for 15 years and we are 30 years behind here. I paid my tax for bin collection, the bin was scanned when it was emptied and at the end of the year, we received a rebate for every week we did not put our bin out - an incentive!
The ER bins are quite small, but we put our bin out every other week and have an extra recycling bin. It really is not hard - but obviously some people simply don't get it or don't want to get it!”
by sambo_1512
Saturday, October 20 2012, 9:39AM
“isn't this what we pay our council tax for, so if they are planning on axing staff but don't know how many how about axing our council tax some to compensate us, my black bin is full every week as we have 5 people in our house and if you leave bags at the side they just get left. It will come down to us having overflowing bins and have to go to the local tip to take our rubbish but why should we when we pay our taxes this country is so messed up its unreal.”
by dlscaiwgh
Friday, October 19 2012, 10:16PM
“The contents of the bins in the streets of Hull must all end up in the same place. Land fill because no one will sort through them!”
by smartguy1
Friday, October 19 2012, 9:57PM
“At least the bins are a decent size in Hull not like the stupid green bins we have in the east riding. I suggest if your bin is full after 1 week and you have a car then put the rubbish in the boot and deposit it outside the local council offices.”
by rich99
Friday, October 19 2012, 9:01AM
“So less work for the already work shy binmen to do”
by GuyCandy
Thursday, October 18 2012, 9:50PM
“I think a good compromise would be to keep the black bin weekly for a trial period, in that time anybody's black bin that has recyclable material found in it pays a £20 fine.
The fine's would pay for the extra collections for the few weeks it would take the lazy folk who can't be bothered to sort their refuse out to get their act together. Everyone's a winner.”
by gillpad
Thursday, October 18 2012, 6:35PM
“Exactly what I say. They keep on telling us that the majority were in favour of fortnightly black bin collections but there is a deafening silence on how many also wanted weekly blue bin collections. Why don't they publish the full results of the survey? Could it be embarrassing for them, I wonder?”
by johnniebj
Thursday, October 18 2012, 5:56PM
“Could HDM publish the detailed answers to the survey some of us completed?
That should show what people want. The proposed change of black bin collections from weekly to fortnightly was not an option in the survey, so how the council drew their conclusions is a mystery.
What will be the next proposal, I wonder?”
by bazzaovhull
Thursday, October 18 2012, 4:37PM
“when deres no room left in my bin after 2 weeks or at xmas when dey dont collect cos ov da snow im left wiv a months worth ov rubbish it is all getting dumped at da steps ov da guidhall”
by cueball44
Thursday, October 18 2012, 4:36PM
“It's going in the bin, i don't know which one, but it is certainly going in.”