Minister hits out at council's controversial brown bin fee
LOCAL Government secretary Eric Pickles has told the House of Commons he is "disappointed" by Derby City Council's plans to charge for brown bin collections.
The Labour-led authority is set to bring in a fee of £40 per year from 2014 for households wanting them collected. Additional bins would cost £20 each.
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The charge forms part of the council's plans to save £62 million over the next three years in the face of cuts to its grant from the Government.
Mr Pickles was asked about the bin plans by Mid-Derbyshire MP Pauline Latham, who asked "what recent discussion he'd had with the city council on its refuse collection policies".
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Mr Pickles replied: "I have had no discussions with the council, but I am disappointed to hear of plans by the Labour council to charge residents for collecting their garden waste."
He added: "There is a very good case for comparing that bin tax with what the neighbouring Amber Valley Borough Council is doing.
"That Conservative authority is about to introduce a new recycling service, which will be more convenient for households and will reduce the amount of waste that goes into landfill, and includes a free garden waste collection service.
"That is good practice and I encourage other councils to follow suit."
The borough scheme involves households paying a £20 one-off fee for the brown bin itself, with the collection service provided for free from April. It currently charges a £40 annual fee.
Councillor Ranjit Banwait, cabinet member responsible for waste collection, said the charge was not a "tax" as people could chose whether to pay or not.
He said: "I can't believe the audacity of the man who has forced Draconian cuts on this council to criticise how we have set our budget. It's bully-boy tactics."
He said the charges had already been brought in by about a third of councils across the country, including some that were Tory-led, and that the Derby move would lead to a saving of £1.2 million. The council aims to save another £500,000 by collecting all recyclable waste in one single blue bin.
Mr Pickles's comments come after 3,268 visitors to the Derby Telegraph's website voted on whether they agreed with the charges.
Of these, 92% were against it and 8% for.
25 Comments
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by DerbyFoE
Sunday, February 10 2013, 6:51PM
“Here you are, climate change denier
US National Climate Assessment
http://tinyurl.com/beeb99f
plus just one of the British Antarctic Survey reports
http://tinyurl.com/gxqk9
The UK Environment Agency has also warned of increased precipitation ie rainfall, because of worsening climate change. Time to stop outpourings of hot air, unless attached to some sort of turbine.......
Derby and South Derbyshire Friends of the Earth”
by towercrane
Sunday, February 10 2013, 1:24PM
“Fire in the back garden time how i enjoy a good old bonfire like we used to before all this change to the way we live.”
by Normal__Bloke
Thursday, February 07 2013, 12:08PM
“by DerbyFoE
"Normal bloke - bet you are a climate-change denier too"
Why would I bother to "deny" something that doesnt exist?”
by DerbyFoE
Thursday, February 07 2013, 7:45AM
“PS The final vote on the brown bin tax is in March - therefore Norm I suggest you get onto your local Cllr and ask which way they are going to vote.”
by DerbyFoE
Thursday, February 07 2013, 7:43AM
“Normal bloke - bet you are a climate-change denier too”
by Normal_Bloke
Wednesday, February 06 2013, 11:46PM
“by DerbyFoE
Over to you SSAIN people....please use your brown bin, no matter what - it is more sustainable.
Are you going to pay the £40 for us? No, thought not. Shut up with your recycling clap-trap.”
by DerbyFoE
Wednesday, February 06 2013, 8:33PM
“Already on this forum people are talking about using their blackbin instead. So the food and garden waste currently recycled through composting (brown bin) will instead be destroyed/landfilled,(blackbin) in breach of the Waste Hierarchy - This has reduction, reuse and recycling/composting ABOVE incineration and landfill.
The City Council has also admitted that throwing this into the blackbin will result in a drop in the recycling rate - this is a breach of UK Waste Regulations.
As they are making money from the recyclate and will lose millions through incineration, it makes no sense whatsoever, especially as higher prices can be obtained through quality SEPARATED recyclate.
Over to you SSAIN people....please use your brown bin, no matter what - it is more sustainable.
Derby and South Derbyshire Friends of the Earth”
by DerbyFoE
Wednesday, February 06 2013, 8:33PM
“Already on this forum people are talking about using their blackbin instead. So the food and garden waste currently recycled through composting (brown bin) will instead be destroyed/landfilled,(blackbin) in breach of the Waste Hierarchy - This has reduction, reuse and recycling/composting ABOVE incineration and landfill.
The City Council has also admitted that throwing this into the blackbin will result in a drop in the recycling rate - this is a breach of UK Waste Regulations.
As they are making money from the recyclate and will lose millions through incineration, it makes no sense whatsoever, especially as higher prices can be obtained through quality SEPARATED recyclate.
Over to you SSAIN people....please use your brown bin, no matter what - it is more sustainable.
Derby and South Derbyshire Friends of the Earth”
by Normal_Bloke
Wednesday, February 06 2013, 7:09PM
“How long before we get a chance to vote Binwait and his fellow muppets out ?”
by make_redgreen
Wednesday, February 06 2013, 7:00PM
“This is where it is a tax JonBoy - slowly but surely we'll get stories of people being fined for filling their bins 'wrong'. Most will not pay, or even got to court and not pay, but in time laws will change and the fines will start being upheld.
So what's the alternative? One is a composter (I've indirectly taken this option although for reasons unrelated to this tax), another is to flytip, and the other to bag your waste and use the tip. The first is the long term cheapest option but not even remotely practical for some, the second option will be what some do (and could still incur fines) and the third will probably cost just as much as the bin tax.
Therefore in effect it was 'this was covered in your policy' but now we've changed the T&C's and this is actually an optional extra, which when it's from the government or council is, in effect, an indirect tax.”