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14
Oct
Changes to Harrogate district bin collections recommended
Recycling collections look set to be reduced from every fortnight to every four weeks in the Harrogate district.
North Yorkshire Council is expected to discuss changes to household waste collections at a meeting on Thursday. You can read the report to councillors on the subject here.
It is the council’s latest bid to harmonise services and save money since it became the single local authority serving all North Yorkshire last year.
Under the plans, every household will get two wheelie bins for recycling as opposed to the current Harrogate district model of one blue-lidded wheelie bin and black containers.
The blue-lidded bins, which will be collected monthly, will continue to be used to recycle cans, glass and plastics.
But a second wheelie bin, which will replace the black boxes, will be introduced for recycling paper and cardboard. It too will be collected every four weeks.
The blue-lidded wheelie bins will be supplemented with another wheelie bin.
There will be a two-week gap between recycling bin collection days, meaning each one will be emptied every four weeks. Under the current system, the blue-lidded bins and black containers are put out for recycling at the same time every fortnight.
However, the proposed new wheelie bin for paper and card will be much bigger than the current black boxes, which the council argues justifies the decision to reduce collection frequency.
Waste and gardening collections will remain the same.
The model proposed is an extension of the system currently employed in the Selby district, which is the cheapest to operate.
The report says:
Overall, the alternate fortnightly approach using two wheeled bins delivers the most efficient, effective and resilient service to residents and businesses.
£8 million on new bins
The new approach means thousands of new 240-litre recycling wheelie bins will be rolled out across the county, except in Selby, at a forecasted cost of £8 million.
The council expects the reduced frequency recycling collections will save £561,000 a year, which means it will take over a decade to recoup the cost of the new bins.
It is expected to press ahead despite uncertainty over the national picture, with the new Labour government reviewing some environment policies.
The report says:
On balance and weighing up the merits of taking a decision now or waiting until national government confirms its requirements, it is recommended that North Yorkshire Council takes the decision to act now to deliver a harmonised waste service across the county.
The recommendations to the transport, economy, environment and enterprise overview and scrutiny committee follow the 10-week council consultation Let’s Talk Rubbish this summer, which generated 10,475 responses.
The report says:
Twice as many residents are happy with wheeled bins rather than boxes or bags, although some residents are concerned that the proposed approach is not suited to locations with limited outdoor space. A degree of flexibility will ensure the service is designed to meet local needs. A range of bespoke collection methods including smaller bins, bags, frequent collections of smaller containers and community recycling points will be considered with residents. It is clear that ‘one-size fits all’ is not appropriate.
After beig discussed at Thursday's meeting, the changes are expected to be given final ratification by the Conservative-run council on November 13.
What do you think of the proposed changes? let us know in the comment section below.
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