More than 28,000 Liverpool households have signed up for the controversial new green bin charge.
According to Liverpool Council, around £1.2m has been generated in the eight weeks since the local authority began charging residents £40 a year for green waste to be collected from their homes. The scheme was introduced as the council seeks to address its financial realities this year and hopes to generate around £1.7m from the fees raised.
Cllr Abdul Qadir, Liverpool Council cabinet member for neighbourhoods, told a committee ahead of the charge being launched that for the scheme to break even, a 33% take up is required. Cllr Qadir said: “I’d like to thank people for their support and to those who have signed up for the scheme so far.
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“There are difficult decisions to be taken around balancing the budget and the council is aware of the cost of living crisis affecting many households across the city. There is no deadline for this scheme and those looking to sign up can do so at any time.”
The impact of the programme has been wide-reaching and even led to a split in the ruling Labour group at the Town Hall. A new political grouping was born when former Labour members refused to vote for this year’s annual budget which included the new surcharge.
A petition was also launched in opposition to the plans with thousands of residents making their feelings known online. The roll-out of the charge has also been met with some stumbling blocks with Liverpool Council seeking answers from Royal Mail over stickers designating who had paid for the scheme to be placed on bins not being received on time.
Cllr Carole Storey, Liberal Democrat Childwall ward member and residents across the city told the ECHO of their frustration at not receiving stickers despite having paid on time. Liverpool Council said those who had paid should continue to put their bin out for collection as normal.
Cllr Qadir asked for patience as the scheme was rolled out but the local authority was also made to provide an additional free week of collections after a mix-up on its website over the end of the previous scheme. In establishing the fee, Liverpool has become the fourth of the six Liverpool City Region local authorities to ask residents to stump up for collections.
St Helens, Wirral and Halton already charge a fee while Knowsley and Sefton still provide the service for free. A warning was issued by Liverpool Council to households to be aware of scammers posing as local authority officials placing bogus phone calls about the green bin scheme.
