Just an update on brown bins! I’m sure you’ve seen that the council will has passed the brown bin charging scheme. I’d like to comment on the papers that went before councillors at the meeting last Thursday (20).

I’d like to highlight the following, all of which I think is “new” (or newly confirmed) information:

• The free garden waste collections will finish at the end of March, with paid-for collections starting in April.

• People opting-out of the scheme who no longer want their unused brown bin won’t have it collected until at least the summer of next year.

• The charge is set at £40 per year.

• There will be a 10 per cent discount for people who sign-up before January 10, but this will only apply to the first year.

• There will be an option to pay by direct debit in three instalments, however you won’t get your bin collected until you’ve made all three payments and won’t receive the 10 per cent discount.

• The scheme will only pay for itself if between 40 per cent and 50 per cent of households pay for collections. Otherwise, it will make a loss.

• After the first year the cost may increase annually, presumably to recoup any losses made in the previous year.

• The council expects to spend £75,000 on initial set-up costs.

• Twenty per cent of residents will have a their garden waste collected on a different day to their other recycling bins.

• The council expects the scheme to lower recycling rates by over five per cent.

• The council’s consultation under-represents the under-45 age group, who are much more likely to be represented in the 1,645-signature online petition.

• The council will be ending ALL food waste recycling, including for people who opt-into the brown bin service. This means that food waste will only be collected fortnightly.

LAWRENCE WEETMAN

Via email