Selby District Council could introduce £82 green bins fee

9:43am Wednesday 5th December 2012 in Selby & Tadcaster Photograph of the Author By Dan Bean, dan.bean@thepress.co.uk

RESIDENTS in Selby District could have to pay £82 a year to have their green bins removed under new plans to be discussed by the council.

The scheme will be put before Selby District Council’s policy review meeting next week, which suggests the move in order to add to the £2.9 million savings already made by the council in the last year.

A report due to go before the council on Monday claims the council has made significant savings but says “it is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve further savings on a reducing cost base”, so alternative proposals have been put forward.

One of the proposals is the introduction of charges for green waste collections, to help pay for the cost of delivering the service to residents in the district, a total of about £559,000.

Coun Steve Shaw-Wright said the proposed charges would not be popular, but were to be expected.

He said: “I know we’ve been told they expect somewhere between 30 and 40 per cent of people to pay for it, but I have yet to find someone who would say yes.

“They have made a lot of major cuts, but there are a lot more to come. We’re a very small authority, scrabbling around for anything to make some money on.

“My concern is that a lot of people wouldn’t do it.”

An estimated cost breakdown suggests that if every resident in Selby were to opt into the new scheme, it would cost them £16.40 per year.

However, this would increase to £24.84 with a 75 per cent takeup, £40.76 with a 50 per cent signup, and £82.29 if only 25 per cent of residents signed up to the scheme.

Coun Shaw-Wright said: “I don’t think it will benefit the council at all.

“It will end up with more grass and land being dumped on.”

An alternative proposal, to reduce the number of collections over the winter, was also made, but the report said “a reduction in service along with charging would make the service less attractive”, so that option would not be considered at this time.

Comments(30)

yorkshirelad says...
9:49am Wed 5 Dec 12

Most people who have gardens big enough to produce lots of green waste also have the space to compost. For the woody bits, just pile them up...nature sorts them like magic.

Why should people prepared to heap them up or compost pay for others to have a fleet of lorries removing green waste.

If we want to keep council tax down, this is an excellent idea.

What a shame councillors think they can take the easy option and oppose it. Where would you make the savings then Councillor?

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myselby says...
9:51am Wed 5 Dec 12

Why no comment from Cllr Crane ? Ivey et al

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myselby says...
10:50am Wed 5 Dec 12

Looks like another suggestion was put forward , to reduce the number of collections- but was dismissed-

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PKH says...
10:52am Wed 5 Dec 12

yorkshirelad wrote:
Most people who have gardens big enough to produce lots of green waste also have the space to compost. For the woody bits, just pile them up...nature sorts them like magic.

Why should people prepared to heap them up or compost pay for others to have a fleet of lorries removing green waste.

If we want to keep council tax down, this is an excellent idea.

What a shame councillors think they can take the easy option and oppose it. Where would you make the savings then Councillor?
A lot of people will put there green waste in with the ordinary landfill bins increase costs there so I doubt there will be as much savings as some people think.

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scooterboy says...
11:51am Wed 5 Dec 12

want want want, just greed,

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ShivvyH says...
12:01pm Wed 5 Dec 12

I think most people would be happier with a reduced green waste collection through the winter.

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YorkPatrol says...
12:14pm Wed 5 Dec 12

I think the service is worth a lot more than £82 a year

I just burn all of my garden waste anyway

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Stevie D says...
12:18pm Wed 5 Dec 12

Ridiculous. Waste collection should be funded through council tax. We pay council tax, we expect basic services, and waste collection is one of them. I can't imagine they will get 1% of residents signing up to this scheme, let alone 25%. Everyone will just pile into their regular bins, and when it won't fit it will just be fly-tipped.

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capt spaulding says...
12:28pm Wed 5 Dec 12

Farmers all around the area collect it for free in their gateways and hedgerows.

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yorkshirelad says...
12:28pm Wed 5 Dec 12

i.e. Gimme what I want it, when I want it...and if you don't then I'll whinge and then break the rules and/or the law anway....

Is it any wonder we're in the state we are in?

Frankly we've been spoiled by public services if we can't agree to small economies like this.

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bob the builder says...
1:33pm Wed 5 Dec 12

I could do it for £50 a year per household!

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colette says...
1:48pm Wed 5 Dec 12

As an OAP, I would prefer a reduced service than to have to pay - eg in the winter, there's usually much less to put in the green bin. Also, I'm surprised that there is no income generated by what is collected and processed? If not, why not? Why doesn't the council try and make it self-supporting?

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AnotherPointofView says...
2:05pm Wed 5 Dec 12

It's already charged for as part of the Council Tax. I don't expect many will want to pay twice for the service.

It will just end up in the black bins or worse just dumped. That will cost the council far more! It's a false economy.

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Boadicea says...
3:52pm Wed 5 Dec 12

ShivvyH wrote:
I think most people would be happier with a reduced green waste collection through the winter.
There is already a very much reduced green waste collection from November to March,

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Boadicea says...
3:55pm Wed 5 Dec 12

I would be prepared to pay £50 but not much more than that.

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idlehousewife says...
4:51pm Wed 5 Dec 12

I thought we already paid for this fortnightly privilege in our council tax?
I'm sure the council could make savings in its expenses budget in any case.

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Boadicea says...
8:38pm Wed 5 Dec 12

idlehousewife wrote:
I thought we already paid for this fortnightly privilege in our council tax?
I'm sure the council could make savings in its expenses budget in any case.
We do, but they want more, a lot more.

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spockboy2 says...
11:40pm Wed 5 Dec 12

Mines all going in grey bin ..job done

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Boadicea says...
11:44pm Wed 5 Dec 12

spockboy2 wrote:
Mines all going in grey bin ..job done
I will be doing the same.

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hikerman says...
10:12am Thu 6 Dec 12

If the councils policy to safe money in order to add to the £2.9 million savings already made by them last year get rid of some councillors and cut their expenses job done.

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peter123456 says...
10:49am Thu 6 Dec 12

Stevie D wrote:
Ridiculous. Waste collection should be funded through council tax. We pay council tax, we expect basic services, and waste collection is one of them. I can't imagine they will get 1% of residents signing up to this scheme, let alone 25%. Everyone will just pile into their regular bins, and when it won't fit it will just be fly-tipped.
WAKE UP PEOPLE. ALL Waste collections are already funded through your council tax. All councils in the UK introduced green bin collection through their recycleing management scheme a few years ago. It is a meth when someone says you get your bins empted for FREE. There is nothing in Britain that is free if you get it free someone else contributes to that free service. In other words the working class. So the stupid 1% that want to pay more for something they already pay for let them pay it.

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roobarb85 says...
5:00pm Thu 6 Dec 12

Well if SDC have to cut their costs, so must I - so no chance of me stumping up any extra cash for this little wheeze.

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newplan says...
12:07am Fri 7 Dec 12

Boadicea wrote:
ShivvyH wrote:
I think most people would be happier with a reduced green waste collection through the winter.
There is already a very much reduced green waste collection from November to March,
In Selby? Fortnightly green bin collections November to March, as in the rest of the year. Ill informed, Boadicea?

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strangebuttrue? says...
12:28am Fri 7 Dec 12

Chuck it in the grey bin as we do now with the recyclable stuff we used to take to Beckfield Lane recycling centre in York.

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Magicman! says...
1:54am Fri 7 Dec 12

yorkshirelad wrote:
Most people who have gardens big enough to produce lots of green waste also have the space to compost. For the woody bits, just pile them up...nature sorts them like magic.

Why should people prepared to heap them up or compost pay for others to have a fleet of lorries removing green waste.

If we want to keep council tax down, this is an excellent idea.

What a shame councillors think they can take the easy option and oppose it. Where would you make the savings then Councillor?
In that case, each household should be able to do an online "opt out" application, stating they do not wish for their green bins to be collected, and then in return the council gives them a rebate on council tax.

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Boadicea says...
12:01pm Fri 7 Dec 12

newplan wrote:
Boadicea wrote:
ShivvyH wrote:
I think most people would be happier with a reduced green waste collection through the winter.
There is already a very much reduced green waste collection from November to March,
In Selby? Fortnightly green bin collections November to March, as in the rest of the year. Ill informed, Boadicea?
Between November and March, according to the card put on my bin (in York), there has been/will be five (5) green bin collections, i.e. monthly.
I am not ill informed Newplan.

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newplan says...
12:24pm Fri 7 Dec 12

Boadicea wrote:
newplan wrote:
Boadicea wrote:
ShivvyH wrote:
I think most people would be happier with a reduced green waste collection through the winter.
There is already a very much reduced green waste collection from November to March,
In Selby? Fortnightly green bin collections November to March, as in the rest of the year. Ill informed, Boadicea?
Between November and March, according to the card put on my bin (in York), there has been/will be five (5) green bin collections, i.e. monthly.
I am not ill informed Newplan.
Read the first paragraph of the article.
'RESIDENTS in SELBY District could have to pay £82 a year to have their green bins removed under new plans to be discussed by the council'
Selby.
Not York.
Your comment says 'There is already a very much reduced green waste collection from November to March'.
Not true in Selby.

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Boadicea says...
11:38pm Fri 7 Dec 12

But true in York.

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newplan says...
11:47pm Fri 7 Dec 12

Boadicea wrote:
But true in York.
Well, when they do a story on green bins in York I'm sure your comments will be entirely relevant and your insight invaluable. But as this is an article talking about Selby, on this occasion they are less so.

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Boadicea says...
10:26am Sat 8 Dec 12

Newplan I wont be reading any more of your patronizing remarks.
You must lead a very boring life.

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