At the Budget Council meeting in February, the local Green Party proposed that the Council look into introducing 3-weekly ‘black bin’ collections for ‘residual waste’ (the stuff that isn’t easily recycled). I am entirely opposed to this idea.
CWaC Green Party: “Introduce ‘3 weekly black bin collections’ locally.”
Cllr Simon Eardley: ‘Not now, not ever!’
Here’s a copy of my speech at the meeting in opposition to it:
“We are being asked to consider a proposal that would fundamentally change how every household in this borough manages its waste — a shift to three‑weekly refuse collections.
And let’s be clear: this isn’t being driven by better service, cleaner streets, or improved public satisfaction – quite the opposite.
It’s being driven by a projected saving of £400,000 – and that’s it!
I know the Green Party is notably uncharitable towards some people – except the extreme elements of society it often supports these days – but why are they trying to help out the Labour administration with proposed savings to their budget challenges?
Savings on paper are meaningless if the cost is borne by residents in overflowing bins, public health concerns, and deteriorating neighbourhood standards.
And this is in the context of the fact that flytipping is known to be out of control in the borough as the Conservative Group amendment on that clearly sets out.
The Council’s own Waste Management Strategy, approved in 2021 - and which I was personally highly critical of at the time - set fortnightly collections as the benchmark and promised that changes would be made only as part of a long‑term, collaborative approach with residents.
This amendment goes in the opposite direction.
Yet here we are — not with a fully costed plan, not with a service improvement case, not with public backing — but with a budget amendment whose main justification is that “alternative options were considered five years ago”.
There’s absolutely NO justification for this change whatsoever.
We also know the Council acknowledges that more work is required to confirm the “exact value of savings” and that 2028–29 is the earliest possible date for implementation due to consultation and operational lead‑in time.
So, we are being asked to bank savings that may not materialise, from a service change that has not been designed, tested, or approved.
Residents deserve reliable, regular waste collections — not uncertainty.
They deserve neighbourhoods free from side‑waste, vermin and litter — not a gamble on unproven savings.
And above all, they deserve a council that puts public service before political signalling.
The Conservative Group oppose this amendment.”
