From david Wookey WASTE collection and related costs to council taxpayers are currently a national topic of discussion. In the recent past, waste collection has moved from a weekly to fortnightly basis and although I appreciate that some people may have had problems with this change, the majority have accepted it and have benefitted from the ensuing cost reductions, as undoubtedly council tax would have increased had it not been brought in.
However there are two areas that I think could still be addressed which would reduce costs further and I put these forward for discussion in the Newsletter.
1. I am currently on my fifth caddy for recycling of newspapers etc, which goes inside the blue recycling bin. This is due to the rough handling of the caddy by the collection operatives (the lip of the caddy gets broken so that it won’t rest inside the bin). I phone the council and they are very prompt in sending a replacement (as the collection team will not take the caddy if it’s left on top or external to the blue bin). My question is who pays for the damaged caddy and delivery of the replacement – is it the council taxpayer or the third party collection company? Another question is, is it fit for purpose, i.e. is it strong enough? 2. During the winter months, November through February, do we really need the brown garden waste bins emptying on a fortnightly basis? I know from my own experience that once a month or even six weeks would be sufficient. This could be quite a significant saving on overall costs. I appreciate that some people may require more regular collections, but would not an additional strong bin liner be appropriate in these cases? It’s not food or general waste that would attract vermin or urban foxes, etc.
I would be interested in the views of other council taxpayers on the above points.
Basil Close Rickerscote Stafford
