Labour calls for bin collections and grass cutting to be run by Northampton Borough Council not private firm

Northampton Borough Council recently decided to continue with a private sector firm once Enterprise contract runs out in 2018. The contract has, at times, been controversial with a number of criticisms over the quality of bin collections, grass-cutting and upkeep of cemeteries.

Now, the leader of the Labour Group at the borough, Councillor Danielle Stone, says they want the services brought back in-house.

She said: "It is my strong preference for environmental services to be brought back in-house or at the very least for the Borough Council to set up an arm’s length company to manage and oversee it. An arm’s length management company would be owned by Northampton Borough Council, similar to Northampton Partnership Homes.

"Seven years ago Northampton Borough Council decided to outsource waste collection and a quantum leap in service performance was promised whilst delivering great value for money to taxpayers. That simply hasn’t happened and many residents feel that the service has actually deteriorated in recent years. We now have many untidy neighbourhoods with piles of rubbish.

"It hasn’t worked and so I am opposed to using a private sector contractor to deliver environmental services. I have submitted this call-in in order to try and get the Conservative Cabinet to see sense and change their mind.

"In my opinion. the Conservative Cabinet has produced very thin evidence as to why a private sector contractor is the better option.”