Calls have been made to North Somerset Council to once again look at collecting black bins every three weeks, instead of every two weeks, at a meeting of the council’s executive. The executive approved plans to close Backwell recycling centre and increase the cost of collecting garden waste, part of a sweeping set of cuts as the council tries to reduce their £17m budget gap to £4.1m.
These will only come into force after being approved as part of the council’s budget next year. The former council leader, Don Davies, questioned why this move was being made while the council was still spending money on collecting black bins every other week.
Speaking in the meeting as a non-executive member, he said: “Around proposals to close Backwell’s recycling centre, I am sure there are pros behind that. But nothing about trying to get residents to recycle more by reducing the number of black bin collections? Which obviously costs us a lot of money in either landfill charges or the costs of incineration.”
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Ash Cartman, who was delivering the report on the plan as the executive member for corporate services, confirmed there were currently no proposals to go to three weekly collections. Other parts of Somerset already have three weekly bin collections, with Somerset County Council having adopted the idea in 2020. It is believed that this will lead to thousands fewer tonnes of rubbish being thrown away and it would save the council £1.7m.
But plans to trial the idea in North Somerset were put on hold in February, with deputy leader Mike Bell saying it was not the right time. At Wednesday’s meeting, two councillors joined Mr Davies in calling for the idea to be reconsidered.
Mike Solomon, the executive member for neighbourhoods and community services, said: “As Don will know, I’ve always been a supporter of investigating this more.” He said that in parts of Somerset where three weekly collections were the case, bins were “far from overflowing.”
He said: “They are only half full because people recycle more, and thats what it helps to do. So I think, in terms of three weekly collections, it is something we need to pick up in future because I honestly think it has to be a way forward.”
Executive member for the environment and engagement Bridget Petty added that three weekly collections was something she and other Green Party councillors would support. When previously consulted on, 39% of people said that changing black bin collections to every three weeks would be the most acceptable option, 14% said it was the least acceptable, and 47% were on the fence.
