Councillors urged to get behind bin collection changes to avoid Welsh Government fine

Alec Doyle, local democracy reporter

Councillors have been urged to put aside their differences and get behind a new bin collection programme to avoid a £1.2m fine from the Welsh Government.

Flintshire council will move to a three-weekly waste collection cycle next April.

Despite a 2,700-name petition against the change and objections raised by members of the independent group of councillors Flintshire People’s Voice, the plans were passed by the council’s Environment and Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee last week.

Dissenting

Llanasa and Trelawnyd Councillor Glyn Banks, cabinet member for Streetscene and Transportation,  admitted he had been one of those dissenting voices against the move to three-weekly collections.

However, Cllr Banks has now urged fellow members to move on from their disagreements to help make the changes a success and prevent the council being hit with the huge fine.

“I’ve had reservations over this change myself,” he said. “But this is the part we have to play to get the infraction charges taken off us.

“Today I’m asking councillors to put aside their reservations and help us to promote this. We’re all in this together.”

Budget deficit

Flintshire County Council, which is already facing a predicted £37.7m budget deficit next year, has an additional £1.2m fine – known as an infraction charge –  hanging over it as it has failed to achieve the Welsh Government’s statutory target of recycling 70% of its waste over a number of years.

The change to three-weekly collections is projected to save £800,000 per year and increase Flintshire’s recycling rate from 63% to 69%.

This week Cabinet members backed Cllr Banks, agreeing to support the plans and help communicate the changes to residents alongside council officers.

“We are committed to this,” added Mold East Cllr Chris Bithell, Cabinet Member for Planning, Public Health and Public Protection.  “It’s the right thing to do. We are also in a sense on probation with the Welsh Government.

“We have to reduce the cost of collection. People say we are just looking at saving money but with a £38m gap that’s not something we should be avoiding.”

Cabinet also heard new details around how household recycling would work for people with disabilities.

Disabled residents with adapted vehicles that resemble commercial vans will be able to apply for permits to dispose of waste – addressing concerns that they would not be able to access household recycling sites (HRCs).

“The vehicle permit policy will ensure that people who drive converted high-sided vehicles as a result of disabilities will be able to access HRCs under the new scheme,” said Cllr Banks. “They will need to apply for a permit but once they have that they will have access to our sites.”