Poll shows majority against Wolverhampton bin collection changes
Plans to introduce fortnightly bin collections and charges for garden waste collections in Wolverhampton have been slammed by homeowners.
More than 2,000 people believe Wolverhampton council are wrong to make the decision, which is hoped will help save £2.4 million a year as part of wider cost-cutting.
In an Express & Star poll, 81 per cent of more than 3,500 voters said they didn't agree with the decision being made.
As part of the plan, which will be introduced in September, slop bucket collections will be scrapped after it was put on hold over a dispute with Amey.
Council bosses now have an ‘agreement in principle’ to end the waste collection partnership with the contractor, bringing the service back under sole council control.
Councillor Steve Evans, cabinet member for city environment, says by making the changes the council can meet its agreed budget – with the new service introducing an 'easily accessible' improved waste collection service.
But residents have expressed their disappointment at the move – even labelling it as 'disgusting'.
Clare Caine, from Wolverhampton, said: "This is disgusting. Firstly we get our general waste bins shrunk to half the size, which is bad when you have a big family, and now you want us to pay rent on a property and it’s land. And we have to take garden waste to the tip ourselves."
Sara Mcnally added: "Well good luck when we are overrun with rats and pests. Just putting the environmental health department under more pressure. Stupid idea!"
Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat campaigner Nick Machnik-Foster said: "While we welcome bringing bin collections back in-house at the council the move to fortnightly bin collections could prove to be a massive issue for residents, especially families, that could see the piles of rubbish in Wolverhampton that we saw in Birmingham last year which will lead to rat infestations."
Under the waste management changes, slop buckets which take food waste will be scrapped and charges of £35 a year would be levied on residents taking up a new 42-week garden waste collection service.
Households will be able to have a bigger brown bin for free if needed.
Despite the uproar, people living in nearby boroughs such as South Staffordshire and Shropshire said they coped fine with fortnightly bin collections.
Karen Good said: "We are in South Staffordshire and we have had fortnightly bins for years. (It) shouldn't be a problem if you recycle properly and squash boxes and bottles down but there’s always some who are to idle too do it."
Dave Jacques agreed, writing: "Stafford has been on fortnightly collections for years and it doesn’t trouble us much at all."
The decision was made a Wolverhampton council meeting on Tuesday.
Councillor Evans added: “Through these changes, the council are able to meet its agreed budget whilst investing to provide a platform for service changes as agreed by full council in February last year.
“The new service will introduce an improved waste collection service to be easily accessible and more efficient to residents by enabling them to self-serve and book specialist services provided by the council."
