Weekly bin collections could be cut
THOUSANDS of homes across the city could see their bin collections change from weekly to fortnightly.
The controversial move is one of a number of proposals aimed at saving cash-strapped Exeter City Council money and driving up recycling rates.
Under the proposals, around 13,000 properties which currently enjoy weekly rubbish collections would see their collections go biweekly.
Other suggestions include moving collections from back alleys to the front of properties and changing to a four-day week for refuse collectors.
Affected areas are likely to include St David’s, Newtown, Polsloe, St James, St Thomas, Heavitree and, possibly, Topsham.
Residents will be consulted over the changes but the announcement has already met with mixed reactions from householders and councillors.
But council bosses say the changes could save them around £100,000 a year and would encourage people to recycle more.
Mike Trim, head of the city council’s cleansing services, said: “Exeter has around 50,000 homes, of which 32,000 are already on a biweekly collection.
“There are 13,000 of the 18,000 on weekly collections that are of a similar size and type of property to those on biweekly collections.
“Financially, it stacks up and would provide us with a considerable saving.
“And environmentally, it makes sense as there would be less movement of large refuse vehicles.
“Statistics show that people on a weekly collection produce 22 per cent more waste so for the taxpayer it would make sense if less rubbish was going to landfill.”
He added that large households could request an additional bin to hold their waste.
Kelvin Lacy, chairman of St David’s Neighbourhood Partnership, said: “What on earth are people supposed to do with this material for an extra week?
“I can’t imagine this being well received by many residents.”
St Thomas resident Vera Batchelor said she was “disgusted” with the idea.
She said: “What the devil are we paying council taxes for if they aren’t going to collect our rubbish every week?
“We’re going to get vermin and all sorts of health problems.”
St Thomas councillor, Rob Hannaford, said: “If local residents in St Thomas send a clear message back that they don’t want these changes I will certainly not be supporting it.
“Although it’s understandable that the council may want to save money, we must remember that local people are still using their hard-earned cash to pay council tax and they are entitled to expect a decent service.”
The council say that phasing out back alley collections will save money and reduce fly-tipping.
But Rachel Lyons, chairman of the Polsloe Community Association, said: “My first impressions of this is that it won’t work because of the number of multiple occupancy houses in the area.
“People continuously chuck rubbish over their garden wall into the back alley.
“We already have lots of problems with waste in this area and I can see this throwing up more problems.”
Maurice Spurway, of Exeter’s Friends of the Earth, welcomed the proposed changes.
“I think, increasingly, biweekly collections are going to be a good thing,” said Mr Spurway.
“The city council now needs to look to implementing food waste collections as one of the main problems with fortnightly collections is that food in the bins starts to smell.”
Kevin Mitchell, lead councillor for environment and leisure, said: “If we can collect less waste and recycle more, that brings the cost of collections down as well as helping the environment.”
The proposed changes will be the subject of a community forum at the city’s Guildhall at 2.30pm on Thursday, June 25.
40 Comments
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by robert george BONNEY, ex4 6jx
Saturday, June 20 2009, 10:45AM
“WHY HAS THE BLACK BINS NOT BEEN EMPTIED FOR THE PASSED 2 WEEKS”
by Ian, Exeter
Thursday, June 18 2009, 10:10AM
“Wow ! What a response to your article. You can never please the whole communty, but you can make common sense changes that will benefit the community generally - so ECC - go for it say I. As a previous resident of some 17 years in St Davids I felt concerned about the changes for that area, so contacted the council. The multi occupational housing without storage areas will still receive a weekly collection I have been told. So no problem there. Those with gardens / storage areas will go to fourtnightly collections. Since I moved away from St davids and I have had two 'proper' bins, I have found that my recycling has increased dramatically. Over two weeks, the two of us and our regular guests, friends, family visitors etc still only manage to fill one large sack of greywaste. So it can be done - please do not automatically say NO to change. Yes. some may have problems but speak to the council and see if they can help. Some may not like change - understandable - but again at least speak to others who have 'bin' there ( sorry about he pun !) and then speak to your local councillor and see if he/she can help. It may only be my opinion but I feel that we have to make changes to move forward.”
by Alan, Exeter
Thursday, June 18 2009, 9:08AM
“Reading the comments really shows how much people dont know about local goverment. i see one person has wrote about the money wasted on the Heavitree Arch - person forget this was a Devon County Council thing, also people asking for a reduction on there council tax - again are you forgetting that you pay 37p per week on your refuse collections?!? and that around 80% of your council tax go's to Devon County Council!!
with the price of landfill tax going up the fact that exeter city council is trying to save us some money (instead of spending it) is surly for the best! or would everyone want a 1p at best reduction on council tax!!
the only problem i see is the small group of people that dont like change, c'mon get out of the STONE AGE and get with the times, recycling is the way forward to save this planet as we can't keep dumping our waste in the ground!!
keep up the good work ECC”
by SKoM, Cullompton
Thursday, June 18 2009, 8:37AM
“Sorry jayne, but none of that is necessarily true - like most propoganda against change
I don't see waste littering the residential streets of Cullompton - probably less than many of the areas listed for this change - we aren't beating off rats everywhere we go and we don't even have wheelie bins for grey waste.”
by Bob Turner, St.David's
Wednesday, June 17 2009, 10:59PM
“A lousy idea. As a Community Association we are trying to improve the appearance of a long neglected area. The prospect of wheelie bins full of grey waste, positioned outside the front of all houses, should really improve things!
No thanks”
by Ruth, St James, Exeter
Wednesday, June 17 2009, 8:03PM
“What a disgrace. I live in the St James area of the city where most of the houses are occupied by students. We constantly have to tolerate black bags and overflowing bins being out every day of the week. This effects the character of the street and I am beginning to feel embarassed to live here especially when visitors arrive.”
by jayne, exeter
Wednesday, June 17 2009, 4:30PM
“Every council that is covered on Watchdog have the new proposed collection in place. An average household would need to have extra bins for their waste even with optimum recycling.
The councils also find that the rat numbers increase to a large amount, as extra rubbish is then left lying in the streets.
At the end of the day it would cost the same amount as it does now, but to a different part of the council.
Therefore no cost savings would be achieved.”
by James, Exmouth
Wednesday, June 17 2009, 3:54PM
“Parts of East Devon might be living in E Doews's recycling wonderland, but in my bit of Exmouth they take glass, metal and paper, only, fortnightly.
Seems no council is capable of joined up thinking on this issue.”
by Ian, Exeter
Wednesday, June 17 2009, 3:20PM
“Only one snag, come collection day, there will be more rubbish for the dustcarts, more journies to the tip, more diesel cost, and more tipping fees. Have the council taken that into consideration ?”
by James, St Leonards
Wednesday, June 17 2009, 2:40PM
“That's a good idea Jo, having a communal dumping area for high density places like Newtown would seem to be the obvious way forward. Unfortunately the students near my house seem to think they only have to put out their rubbish at the end of each term and then pile it all up outside our houses in the next street. We know it's them because the idiots leave their mail unshredded in the bags and the gulls make sure we can all read who it is! Education is the way forward in this matter, maybe a short film on westcountry or spotlight to highlight how to PUT OUT YOUR RUBBISH ON THE RIGHT DAY!”