Stars kick up a stink over ‘bin bias’
Collections every fortnight in rich areas ... but weekly on council estates
THE residents of some of London’s most desirable areas are in revolt over moves to halve their bin collections — which they say discriminate against “actors, artists and celebrities”.
A decision by Labour-run Camden council to introduce a fortnightly cycle in neighbourhoods such as Highgate, Hampstead, Belsize Park and Primrose Hill has led to claims it is targeting the “liberal elite”.
The “bin wars” have also set the north of the borough against the council estates of the south, near King’s Cross and Euston, where weekly collections will largely be retained. Some homeowners are threatening to withhold part of their council tax in protest.
Fashion designer and sculptor Nicole Farhi, who lives in Hampstead with her husband, playwright Sir David Hare, said: “It’s totally ridiculous, we are very angry about this. Where are we going to store our rubbish, do we have to pay for a skip? There will be rats and foxes. Because we have a big house we already pay more council tax and should get the services other parts of the borough get. They should discount our council tax for this but that won’t happen.”
Fellow Hampstead resident, actor Tom Conti, said: “It’s horrifying the council wastes so much money then doesn’t collect the rubbish. We should all deduct some of our council tax. It’s a basic service and it will mean dirtier streets. I don’t know whether they are targeting richer neighbourhoods on purpose but it wouldn’t surprise me.” The streets hit by the move, which Camden says will save £5 million a year, are also home to Thierry Henry, Ricky Gervais and partner Jane Fallon.
Property developer Stacey Offer, 50, lives in Belsize ward. Her collections will be fortnightly but those of her neighbour, who is technically on a different street, will remain weekly. She said: “It is crazy that next door will have a different collection. Our rubbish already piles high.” Another resident, who did not want to be named, said: “It’s a thinly veiled attack on people the council think are privileged.”
Jonny Bucknell, Belsize ward Tory councillor, said: “It seems like an attack on the liberal elite of actors, artists and celebrities who live in the area.”
Under the changes, from April, food waste and recycling will still be collected weekly. Camden council says homes chosen for fortnightly pick-ups have large outside storage spaces so rubbish will not spill into the street. A spokesman said: “We’ve taken a road-by-road approach. It’s deliberately not ‘one-sizefits-all’, instead based on evidence as we look to deliver the best results.”