Petition launched to stop West Berkshire Council changing bin collections from fortnightly to every three weeks

A petition has been launched to stop West Berkshire Council from changing the frequency of bin collections.

It follows a survey in which most people voted against the change, which reduces black bin collections to once every three weeks instead of every fortnight.

The petition says the consultation was flawed and there was no clear direct question to residents as to whether they wanted the change.

West Berkshire Council’s waste strategy says it will save the council £150,000 a year – and encourage people to recycle more.

It says there is no date yet for when the new bin rota will be introduced, but the plans were approved as part of the waste strategy in April.

“If half the West Berkshire residents apply and receive a larger bin the proposed policy could end up costing more than it saves,” says the petition, which also goes on to urge the Liberal Democrat leadership to pause and wait for devolution and form a single bin service with neighbouring authorities it may end up partnering with.

The petition also includes its own survey.

The proposal for devolution on the table for a new ‘Ridgeway' Council with WBC, Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire is awaiting government moves on the plans.

In the council survey run earlier this year on the bins, most people said they did not want a reduction in the frequency of refuse collections.

But there was a high level of support for increasing waste types collected for recycling, as well as support for a review of the council bins provided for recycling collections.

Stuart Gourley (Lib Dem, Newbury Clay Hill) is the portfolio holder for waste and the environment. He said: “Waste services is one of the most visible we provide for the residents.

“It is used by 168,000 of us in West Berkshire. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t look to improve our services.

“How and what we dispose of is also a key component in our push to improve our lived environment to reduce waste and increase recycling.”

He says data shows 43 per cent of waste that goes into black bins can be recycled.

Residents who receive the kerbside or sack collection service were asked if they agreed or disagreed that three-weekly black bin collections could help increase the amount of waste the council collects as recycling and reduce the amount of waste households produce.

Seventy one per cent disagreed or strongly disagreed that it would.

Most respondents stated that they might be able to cope with a reduction to black bin frequencies with adequate support.