Three weekly bin collection plans called in by opponents

Liam Randall, local democracy reporter

A controversial decision to introduce three-weekly black bin collections has been called in by opponents in a bid to make senior councillors reconsider.

Members of Flintshire Council’s Labour-led cabinet backed a move to collect general waste from residents once every three weeks instead of fortnightly at a meeting on Tuesday (July 23, 2024).

Ahead of the meeting, officers had recommended a switch to monthly collections in a bid to improve recycling rates in the county.

Petition

That was until council leader Ian Roberts tabled an amendment at the last minute after more than 2,700 people signed a petition against the plans.

Members of a backbench scrutiny committee also unanimously opposed the proposals last week amid concerns it would have seen large piles of rubbish dumped in the streets.

However, the attempted compromise appears to have failed to appease opposition councillors.

Seven members of the largest independent group have called the matter in to be discussed by the council’s environment and economy scrutiny committee next, while the number of petition signatures has climbed to more than 3,100.

A separate call in notice has also been signed by five former Labour councillors, who left the party in May due to concerns their opinions were being ignored.

In a statement explaining their decision, members of the Flintshire People’s Voice (FPV) group, said: “We will be asking that committee to send the decision to full council, forcing every councillor in Flintshire to put on the record whether they support scrapping fortnightly bin collections or not. FPV strongly oppose the move away from fortnightly collections.

“We believe there are serious unanswered questions about the modelling used to show how much reducing bin collections will increase recycling, which impacts how much money will actually be saved by this decision.

“If the supposed savings won’t be achieved, then Flintshire residents will receive a worse service for no reason.

“There is also no question that the Labour cabinet have failed to consult the public adequately on this.”

Fines

The move to three-weekly collections was made following a warning that the local authority could be fined more than £1.2m for failing to meet the Welsh Government recycling target of 64 per cent for the last four financial years.

With a new goal of 70 per cent introduced this year, officers suggested switching to monthly collections to boost Flintshire’s recycling rate from just under 63 per cent to almost 69.

But cabinet members opted for a three-weekly service instead, despite being told it would only lift recycling rates to 66 per cent and increase the likelihood of penalties being imposed.

They were also informed the projected financial savings would reduce from around £770,000 per year to approximately £650,000.

Members of the largest independent opposition group, headed by Hawarden Aston councillor Helen Brown, said the local recycling rate had improved significantly during the current year and residents should not be punished.

They said: “Flintshire residents deserve a waste collection service that works for them, but what is being proposed does not satisfy that desire and it is for that reason that Flintshire independent councillors believe the cabinet must reconsider its decision.

“There are many parts of the present waste strategy that are not being adhered to, that if followed would create the necessary savings.

“Our high-rise flats and HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) are not given the resources to recycle, with nappies and AHP (absorbent hygiene products) still being added to black bag waste streams.

“It’s a waste recipe for disaster, that cannot be resolved simply by changes to frequency of collection.”

Guidance

They added: “The administration must shoulder most of the blame for not providing adequate guidance to waste officers whilst using outdated recycling rates.

“Quarter one recycling rates for 2024 are 67 per cent, not 61.5 per cent, which is a markedly improving picture initiated, in part, by an education programme of residents started in April of 2024. Residents cannot continually be blamed for not recycling.”

The committee will meet on Tuesday (July 30, 2024) to consider the call in notices.

Members will be presented with several options, including referring the decision back to the cabinet or sending it to a full council meeting.

They could also potentially declare themselves satisfied with the response to their concerns and allow the plans to move forward.

A statement was released earlier this week by the council’s cabinet member for streetscene and transportation explaining the decision to move to three-weekly collections.

Cllr Dave Hughes (Lab) said: “After listening to feedback from our communities, cabinet has decided the best option moving forward is to introduce a three-weekly bin collection.

“This will allow us to move closer to Welsh Government’s 70 per cent recycling target while still providing a high-quality service to residents.

“Households are already fully equipped with the tools to make a big difference when it comes to recycling, and many residents are doing all they can.

“The transition to a new waste collection model should have minimal impact on residents if they fully utilise the weekly recycling and food waste collection services already provided.”