Calls for council to scrap planned changes to York's green bin collections (From York Press)
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Calls for council to scrap planned changes to York's green bin collections
9:10am Monday 8th October 2012 in News
By Mark Stead, Political Reporter
Calls for council to scrap planned changes to York's green bin collections
CITY leaders are to face calls to scrap any plans to make York residents pay for having their green waste bins collected.
A "subscription-based service" and seasonal garden waste collections are being considered by City of York Council as it looks to save £250,000 by the end of 2013/14, but plans for a public consultation on the issue have been delayed.
The authority's Liberal Democrat group will use this week's full council meeting to demand the ruling Labour group abandons any plans for green-bin charging.
The Conservatives have also tabled a motion calling for the idea to be ruled out and for all the city's existing salt bins - almost half of which will not be automatically filled this winter due to cash shortages - to remain in place.
The Lib Dems said 1,173 people have signed a petition against charging for green waste collections, raising fears such a move would lead to a drop in recycling and rising landfill tax bills and cancel out any savings.
The group's spokesperson for environmental services, Coun Ann Reid, said: "The response from the public has been overwhelming and residents are angry this frontline service is under threat."
Coun John Galvin, who will table the Conservative motion, said: "Providing salt bins in winter and green waste removal for residents are two bare-minimum services which people expect the council to fulfil when they pay their council tax.
"To put them in jeopardy by cutting back on salt bins and proposing residents pay extra for the removal of green waste bins is a dereliction of basic council duties."
Coun David Levene, cabinet member for environmental services, said Labour was "not going to rule anything in or out" on green waste collections before a review and public consultation were completed, saying: "The cabinet will consider responses to that public consultation, and the input of all councillors, before making any decision.
"Local Conservatives continue to welcome cuts to local government, then oppose the effects of these cuts locally. We will retain full funding for core salt bins, while discretionary salt bins allocated by some ward councillors over a period will no longer be funded."
He said salt bins not automatically filled by the council will be left out so "contingency funding" can be used to stock them if winter weather is bad, adding: "This is a temporary measure pending a full public consultation on salt bin locations next year."
Comments(21)
NoNewsIsGoodNews
says...
9:45am Mon 8 Oct 12
Bring on the floods.
monkeyhanger
says...
9:54am Mon 8 Oct 12
Kevin Turvey
says...
10:04am Mon 8 Oct 12
25% of the leaders forced to leave without a huge payoff thereby making huge wagebill savings that can be used to provide the basic services that councils are deemed to provide!
The average council worker can then get on with his/her job of filling up the salt bins as they will have money for salt and the green bins can be emptied.
Far too many so called chiefs so therefore less money/budgets to allow for the people and resources that actually do the real work of providing basic/essential services!
So for starters – I think James Alexander so resign over this.
Pete the Brickie
says...
10:47am Mon 8 Oct 12
Coun David Levene, cabinet member for environmental services, said Labour was "not going to rule anything in or out" on green waste collections before a review and public consultation were completed, saying: "The cabinet will consider responses to that public consultation, and the input of all councillors, before making any decision.
Luckily I am able to transate the above gibberish produced by David into something we can all understand:
We know this was a terrible idea tabled by a complete idiot, we're not going to do it as it would raise serious questions as to our ability as a political group to control the council, as voters would think we were insane, but I aren't allowed to say that yet.
yorkshirelad
says...
11:43am Mon 8 Oct 12
Threatening to dump it in the grey bin or fly-tip it is also irresponsible and akin to threatening to steal petrol if the garage puts it's prices up!
Everyone simply composting green waste and saving money could be done if we all took responsibility. Leaving it in a heap isn't a bad alternative...nature does the rest.
It never fails to amaze me how folk will demand all their green waste is transported away and then drive down to the garden centre to buy compost!
But however logical this position is...the 'shock horror' will make sure it's not done and we'll simply pay more or lose another service.
Jiffy
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12:57pm Mon 8 Oct 12
Dr Brian
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2:53pm Mon 8 Oct 12
R'Marcus
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3:22pm Mon 8 Oct 12
What a stupid idea, councillors!
TheTruthHurts
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3:33pm Mon 8 Oct 12
BL2
says...
4:11pm Mon 8 Oct 12
yorkshirelad wrote:I rarely use my green bin as most garden waste is composted, but it's rather difficult to compost large amounts of tree / hedge cuttings in it! I can fill a green bin more than twice over with just one cut.
If you look at groups of houses though...clearly there are some who are always filling green bins and some who bother to bung it all in a compost bin. I'm not totally sure one group of households should be (effectively) subsidising the other.
Threatening to dump it in the grey bin or fly-tip it is also irresponsible and akin to threatening to steal petrol if the garage puts it's prices up!
Everyone simply composting green waste and saving money could be done if we all took responsibility. Leaving it in a heap isn't a bad alternative...nature does the rest.
It never fails to amaze me how folk will demand all their green waste is transported away and then drive down to the garden centre to buy compost!
But however logical this position is...the 'shock horror' will make sure it's not done and we'll simply pay more or lose another service.
inthesticks
says...
5:01pm Mon 8 Oct 12
Caecilius
says...
5:27pm Mon 8 Oct 12
Regarding "Threatening to dump it in the grey bin ....is also irresponsible and akin to threatening to steal petrol if the garage puts it's prices up!" No, it isn't. Rates, and then council tax, always used to cover the removal of garden waste as an integral part of the refuse collection service, long before the green bin fad was ever dreamed up. It's not a question of putting prices up but rather of charging twice for a service we already pay for - and God knows York residents, as opposed to visitors and hence businesses, already get little enough in return for the considerable amount of council tax that we're obliged to pay. If the council tries this scam (as others already are), my garden waste will simply be bagged and put in the general refuse bin. I would encourage everybody to do the same, and refuse to pay the blackmail.
azz70
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6:57pm Mon 8 Oct 12
bob the builder
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7:10pm Mon 8 Oct 12
Yorkie-Clifton
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1:17am Tue 9 Oct 12
Magicman!
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2:55am Tue 9 Oct 12
azz70 wrote:Probably that (a) it's too sensible, and (b) they'd have to sort it or send it to an automated sorting plant instead, and they'd rather we do the dirty work instead.
Here's an idea one bin for garden, food and cardboard, one bin for household waste and another for plastics, tins, glass and paper. No need to sort into boxes, so easy everyone will recycle. ERYC are already doing it! What gives YORK
Coun David Levene:
"Local Conservatives continue to welcome cuts to local government, then oppose the effects of these cuts locally."
The cuts to local government are welcomed because it is presumed these cuts will be to get rid of those just trying to self-merit their own job sitting down playing desk golf... so when the local council decides to keep these high-level spongers and instead cut frontline services then this will be opposed.
asd
says...
3:13pm Tue 9 Oct 12
Magicman! wrote:I guess you think its right for Elderly and Disabled having to move out of York and care homes and day care for mentally ill closing down because of Goverment cuts nationally and Locally, well done you big round of applause to you.
azz70 wrote: Here's an idea one bin for garden, food and cardboard, one bin for household waste and another for plastics, tins, glass and paper. No need to sort into boxes, so easy everyone will recycle. ERYC are already doing it! What gives YORKProbably that (a) it's too sensible, and (b) they'd have to sort it or send it to an automated sorting plant instead, and they'd rather we do the dirty work instead. Coun David Levene:"Local Conservatives continue to welcome cuts to local government, then oppose the effects of these cuts locally."The cuts to local government are welcomed because it is presumed these cuts will be to get rid of those just trying to self-merit their own job sitting down playing desk golf... so when the local council decides to keep these high-level spongers and instead cut frontline services then this will be opposed.
Tim Cronin
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3:17pm Tue 9 Oct 12
yawn..
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9:10pm Tue 9 Oct 12
dementia
says...
6:33pm Wed 10 Oct 12
Lots of fun here
BL2 says...
9:23am Mon 8 Oct 12