Public opinion divided on fortnightly bin collections (From Craven Herald)

Public opinion divided on fortnightly bin collections

12:50pm Friday 3rd July 2009 in

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Plans to move to fortnightly rubbish collections as a way of encouraging people to recycle more were given a mixed response at a meeting in Skipton.

Some supported increased recycling, but many criticised Craven District Council’s failure to get to grips with the issue.

And others blamed the use by Bradford Council of the district’s landfill site at Skibeden for the prediction that it will run out of space in between four and five years’ time.

The proposals were also criticised by some councillors, who claimed they had been brought about to save money and had been given little support by residents.

At last Wednesday’s meeting of the council’s overview and scrutiny committee, chairman Coun Helen Firth stressed that a decision had yet to be made and all comments would be considered.

She said that, after comments already received, the council had narrowed available options down to two and a decision would be made by the council’s policy committee at a future meeting.

She said the council was also looking at collecting plastic for recycling from local homes. Currently there are plastic recycling banks at four locations in Craven, but a collection service is not offered.

The meeting was told that overview and scrutiny members had narrowed options down to two.

Both involve fortnightly collections of “residual” or general rubbish and residents putting glass and cans into boxes which would be collected fortnightly, on the alternate weeks.

Residents would also put paper and card into blue bins. Under one option these would be collected monthly and under the other they would be collected fortnightly.

Coun Roger Nicholson, chairman of Glusburn and Cross Hills Parish Council, said waste collection was the best service the district council had to offer.

“If the council can’t provide basic services, is there any need for Craven District Council at all? Perhaps we would be better off with a bigger authority,” he said.

But Sue Cowgill, from Settle, said people needed to recycle more and adopt a different attitude to collecting rubbish. “We have to change. It is not impossible to reduce the amount going into bins,” she said.

John Claxton, from Carleton, said it was a sorry state of affairs if the “jewel in Craven District Council’s crown” was its weekly waste collection service. “There will be a time in future where there will be nowhere to dump rubbish; we should be recycling everything,” he said.

He said methane from landfill sites was forcing global temperatures up and councils should be looking at all alternatives to burying rubbish in the ground.

But Jane Williamson said the council was doing little to encourage people to recycle.

“It is not difficult, it is not rocket science. Why aren’t you getting this right?” she asked.

Ian Fulton asked whether the council had carried out a risk assessment on its plans and wondered how residents with limited space would store rubbish.

Coun Graham Beck (Ind) accused the council of trying to save money and called on a proper five-year cost analysis.

“Why mess with something that is not broken? The one good thing that this council does is waste collection. If we go to fortnightly collections, it will be a disaster,” he said.

And Coun Andy Quinn (Cons) feared for residents with large families. “It will be a health hazard,” he said.

Coun Andy Solloway (Lib Dem) said the council would have to improve its recycling service if it was going to move to fortnightly collections of general rubbish, but the proposals were getting little support from his ward.

The meeting was told that 23 parish councils and parish meetings had commented about the proposals. The councils, who were asked to suggest alternatives and suggestions for improving recycling rates, were generally concerned about moves to fortnightly collections and said improved recycling facilities were imperative.

Information leaflets tailor-made to each parish should be issued, they said, and concerns were raised about what would happen if residents missed a collection.