Views sought on new plans to cut bin rounds
RESIDENTS in Sapcote, Stoney Stanton and surrounding villages face radical changes in bin collections as Blaby District Council reacts to budget cuts.
From June next year the authority will lose £740,000 from the cash pot dedicated to refuse and recycling and will need to adjust the service to suit.
Some £505,000 will go from recycling credits paid by Leicestershire County Council, while the remaining £235,000 is Government cash awarded in 2013 to run weekly collec- tions for five years.
The significant decrease means the council is looking to reduce collections. Proposals being put out to consultation suggest an alternative weekly collection with rubbish one week and recycling the next.
To cater for the increase in material, households having four people or more will be eligible for a replacement 240litre refuse bin and recycling bin free of charge, an increase from the current 140-litre standard bin, while households with less than four people will be eligible for a replacement 240-litre recycling bin for free, and a 240-litre refuse bin for a small one-off cost.
The four-week consultation runs until midnight on Thursday November 16.
Councillor Terry Richardson, leader of Blaby District Council, said: “We realise that these proposals will result in a change for residents but we want to ensure that a high quality waste collection service is maintained as it is so highly regarded by residents.
“Many might ask if we could simply increase our element of the council tax to make up this shortfall in funding. However, the Blaby District Council element of the total council tax that residents pay would need to be increased by just over 15 per cent to do this.
“Only 6 per cent of councils now run a weekly collection service, and we will ensure that changes to our service are dictated by the overriding need to continue to provide a first rate service along with reducing waste to landfill and further increase the district’s recycling rate.”
Residents can visit www. blaby.gov.uk/waste2018 to find out more and have their say. Paper copies will be available at local libraries and on request.
All views will be gathered and taken into consideration before a final decision is made by councillors at a meeting planned for early 2018.