Bin charge increase is passed despite opposition criticism
for residents.” Conservative Coun David Whittington said: “Regarding section 114 notices and government funding, was that the case for Birmingham? Surely that was about gross incompetence?”
At West Lancashire, he said a small forecasted revenue surplus by 2027 would only exist if the council made savings or increased charges that fiscal year. At the moment, there was a £4m deficit.
Regarding extra income from town centre car parks, he believed that should be considered separately as part of town centre strategies rather than ‘a one-line sentence’ in the budget.
On higher garden waste collection fees, he said: “This will lead to less use of collections, more fly-tipping and costs. And this charge will apply to smaller households as much as larger ones. Is this Labour policy to hit the least well-off?”
Coun Whittington also talked about the proposed use of reserve cash to balance budgets this year and next.
He said: “Without using reserves, we are told there are no options but to look at cuts or increase charges. But why have we never sought to make savings by sharing some services with other councils? South Ribble and Chorley councils save hundreds of thousands of pounds a year by sharing.
“Our budgets will need over £4m in the next few years. Since Labour has been in power, over £10m has been taken from reserves. That situation is not viable. I urge people to vote against this.”
Our West Lancashire Coun Ian
Rigby said: “We think the budget is unsustainable. There are no policies saying how the situation will be addressed.
“I’m concerned that information I’ve had from the council financial team does not match Coun Molloy’s comments. The increased to £45 is revenue generation. And it represents a greater increase for those who have second bins.”
He said the OWL group had information showing the current £30 garden waste fee creates a surplus.
In reply, Coun Molloy said: “Coun Whittington talked about Birmingham. But I was talking about councils across the whole UK and 40 per cent cuts to funding since 2014.
“You have told us what you are against. But not what you are for. You’ve said your against the bin charge but not how you would fund the gap? If you are against the whole £45 proposal, that represents £1m.”
Labour’s Neil Furey said the recent OWL petition gained 900 signatures but 22,000 households had signed-up for garden bin services. Opponents had ‘lost the popularity test, handsdown’, he said.
He added: “OWL wanted Tawd Valley Developments scrapped. They did not do that [in the past]. They have suggested means-testing council tax housing bands. The housing bands are 30 years old and out of date. If the council brought in means-testing, it would drain its resources. It’s insane.
“The Conservatives have sat on their hands, hoping a government would ban subscriptions [charges].
“That’s not happened. They have had opportunities to scrap charges. They have not done so because they know full-well we need the money. This increase is fair and the charge is reasonable.”
In a vote, the Labour proposals were carried.
‘This will lead to less use of collections, more fly-tipping and costs’