Weekly bin collections to resume in Hampshire from today

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council announce changes as lockdown eases

WEEKLY waste collections in Basingstoke and Deane are set to resume from Monday.

The borough council and its waste and recycling contractor Serco have reviewed staffing and are happy the weekly service can be resumed as lockdown measures continue to relax.

The day residents’ bins are collected will not change.

The council and Serco will continue to review the staffing of all waste and recycling services and will take measures to protect the core services during the Covid-19 crisis if required.

New subscriptions to the borough council and Hart District Council’s garden waste service became available on August 3, but residents are being advised it will take more than a month for bins or bags to be delivered and collections to start.

The council first made the decision to stop garden waste and bulky waste collections in March and temporarily move to a fortnightly waste collection in late April.

While the weekly collection is returning, residents are being encouraged to continue their efforts to reduce waste and recycle more, only putting their waste bin out when they need to.

Cabinet member for the environment and enforcement Hayley Eachus said: “I know the return of the weekly waste collection will be much welcome news for some residents, but I also understand there will be residents who will be disappointed we are returning to the weekly collection and feel we are taking a backwards step towards increasing our recycling rates and achieving our climate emergency targets.

“We always said this was a temporary measure to support our key worker bin crews during this incredibly challenging time.

“They have worked tirelessly throughout this pandemic to maintain a service for our residents and for that we are very grateful.

“We have seen increases in recycling during this period and I would like to encourage those residents who have coped and have made changes to continue their efforts and only put their waste bin out when they need to.

“Most importantly, I would like to thank all of our residents for their patience and support during this difficult time.

“There is still a long way to go but I am delighted we are now able to offer our residents a full complement of services again.”

For more information on waste and recycling collections during the pandemic, visit www.basingstoke. gov.uk/covid-19-bins-and-recycling