Councillors to discuss major changes to bin collections in Daventry district

Major changes to bin and recycling collections will be discussed by Daventry district councillors.

Councillors will meet on Thursday July 14 to consider future plans for the district’s waste and recycling collections with proposals that would see black bins emptied once every three weeks.

Daventry District Council (DDC) has set out proposals to change the waste and recycling service from June 2018, when the current environmental services contract with Amey/Enterprise ends.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

When this happens, the council estimates that to replicate the existing service will need a £1.25 million increase in annual running costs. In part this is due to the considerable drop in prices received for recycled materials which is unlikely to change in the future.

Councillors are therefore considering introducing a new type of service that can be afforded within the available budget, help meet national recycling targets and also change things people don’t like about their current waste and recycling collections.

Called a ‘1-2-3’ service, it proposes (1) a weekly food waste collection, (2) a two-weekly recycling collection using a full-size compartmentalised wheelie bin rather than the current boxes and (3) a three-weekly general waste collection.

It is also being proposed that a separate garden waste collection service will also be made available at an additional cost for those who want it.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Nearly 1,000 people gave their feedback on the proposal during a public consultation during February and March – one of the highest responses ever to a DDC consultation.

If approved on Thursday by the council’s strategy group, the proposal will then go to Full Council on July 28 and if approved, would provide the basis for detailed work on future arrangements for delivering the service.

Options could include the council running the service in-house, sharing it with another council or councils, or outsourcing to a contractor.

Councillor Jo Gilford, Daventry District Council’s Environment Portfolio Holder said:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I would like to thank everyone who gave their feedback on the proposals earlier this year. All their comments were fed into the process and considered against opportunities for improving the service as well as future challenges such as finance and legal restraints.

“Maintaining the status quo is not a sensible option, but we are now in a position to recommend to Members an alternative, quality service that is affordable and seems to best meet our future requirements.”