Hull City Council's plans for fortnightly bin collections could put jobs on the line

BIN collections in Hull could switch to fortnightly collections despite the changes causing job cuts.

Councillors are being asked to back fortnightly collections for homes throughout Hull, although it could lead to job losses in the council's waste collection service.

The exact number of jobs under threat has not been established but officials say they would hope to avoid compulsory redundancies through consultation and negotiation with trade unions at the authority.

Approval by next week's cabinet would generate savings of about £1 million a year for the cash-strapped authority.

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The savings would come from employing fewer staff, operating fewer vehicles and paying less in landfill tax as recycling rates across the city continue to increase.

In a report for the cabinet, environment portfolio holder Councillor Martin Mancey said Government funding cuts meant changes to the way the council collects household rubbish were unavoidable.

"This is the first tranche of savings that will be required to meet the challenging financial targets due to the significant ongoing grant reductions from central govern- ment since 2010," he said.

Early indications suggest ending the traditional weekly black bin collection service is likely to be supported.

In a recent survey of 21,000 residents conducted across the city, 57 per cent said they would prefer a switch to fortnightly collections of their main household refuse bin.

Only 30 per cent supported the currently weekly system, while 13 per cent backed a monthly collection.

In the report, the council's corporate director of Neighbourhood and families, Trish Dalby, said changing to fortnightly black bin collections would have a greater impact on certain households, such as families with young children who have to dispose of nappies.

She said: "No other changes are planned.

"Collections will still continue from tenfoots, residents will still be able to ask for a larger recycling bin and assisted collections for elderly and infirm residents will remain.

"A clear programme of communications will summarise the results of the survey and explain the change to residents."

Trial fortnightly collections of main household bins have already been introduced in several areas of the East Riding, including parts of Beverley and Cottingham.

The trend towards fortnightly bin collections is at odds with the stance of Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.

He has spent the past two years urging councils to stick to weekly collections, even offering grants to back his pleas.