Brown bin collection - Council starting to charge?

[Penguin68]

Actually, when you consider the schemes are targeted on people with cars, with gardens, who live in the more suburban parts of the borough (where public transport is dire) - with parks, etc. etc. it's just good old fashioned class war - which is what you sign up for when and if you vote labour, particularly now with the changed regime at the top. And many will (and on these threads do) welcome exactly that. There are good economic reasons why class war is bad (and statistics show that currently there is more employment - and less wealth diversity - than in the past) but why let the facts get in the way of a good story?

[Sue]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-----------------------------------------------------

>

> Good Old Labour run Southwark Council.

ALL councils, whoever runs them, are having to find ways of cutting costs and raising money because of government cuts in their funding.

Last time I looked we had a Tory government.

Maybe it's them you should be having a go at.

[Michael Palaeologus]

There is something very wrong in how the recycling industry is structured.

We (the public) pay the Council to get rid of our rubbish. They have to recycle the rubbish and (usually) pay the private sector to remove and recycle the trash.

The private sector then sorts the rubbish into its recyclable elements and sell those on, usually to China, at a profit.

So the private sector gets paid to collect the raw material, processes it AND then gets paid for the sale of the end result.

Thats like BP getting paid to drill for oil or DeBeers being paid to dig for diamonds.

[73jem]

Just caught up with all this; someone asked what did we do before the brown bins --- at one time I used to have to put garden rubbish in black plastic bags and take it to the tip where it went in with general landfill.

We have moved on, thank goodness, and as some people do not have to dispose of garden rubbish it seems entirely reasonably that I should pay extra for this service.

[singalto]

Why have we not been told this officially? I have just received my council tax bill informing me of a 2.99% increase but I see nothing about brown bin collection charges. What?s to stop people from putting stuff in neighbouring bins? What are the local councillors saying about it?

[tomskip]

EDPineapple - we asked to swap our large brown wheelie for a kerbside bin several years ago. We also swapped our green bin for a slightly smaller one. It was done within a week. Iirc it just took a phone call to the Council. You could probably just fill in an online form now.

[cella]

You sound very anti green issues - surely not?

DulwichFox Wrote:

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> I think Southwark Council must have committees

> whose soul purpose is to dream up new schemes to

> raise money.

> Most of these are aimed at Motorists, Parking and

> the like.

>

> But we are told not to Pave over our gardens to

> improve drainage,

> Encourage the growth greenery for insects,

> butterflies and Bees.

>

> Then Ban the burning of garden waste with the

> possibility of Fines.

> Then.. If we put garden waste in our garden waste

> bins we will now be charged.

>

> Good Old Labour run Southwark Council.

[edcam]

If this is true, it's unacceptable. Everything should be done to encourage recycling/upcycling. I also thought the council used this waste to make compost for use in the borough's green spaces, so we'd effectively be paying them twice for something that benefits everyone. If they try to charge for this then much of this waste will end up in landfill, which helps nobody.

[DulwichFox]

cella Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

You sound very anti green issues - surely not?

> DulwichFox Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I think Southwark Council must have committees

> > whose soul purpose is to dream up new schemes

> to

> > raise money.

> > Most of these are aimed at Motorists, Parking

> and

> > the like.

> >

> > But we are told not to Pave over our gardens

> to

> > improve drainage,

> > Encourage the growth greenery for insects,

> > butterflies and Bees.

> >

> > Then Ban the burning of garden waste with the

> > possibility of Fines.

> > Then.. If we put garden waste in our garden

> waste

> > bins we will now be charged.

> >

> > Good Old Labour run Southwark Council.

I am certainly not Anti green.

I'm all for Encouraging the growth greenery for insects, butterflies and Bees.

But that has to be managed and garden waste needs to be recycled.

Southwark Council do recycle garden waste and food waste and turn it into compost.

They now Sell that compost at their Devon Street Depot.

So why should residents pay to have that waste taken away,

It's the same old story.

Create a situation that charges people (on top of their Council Tax) for a service

or FINE them if they decide not to recycle and burn their waste.

DulwichFox

[DuncanW]

Is this actually happening though??

[nxjen]

DuncanW Wrote:

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> Is this actually happening though??

Not yet, but the thread has served Southwark Council well by preparing the way for introducing charges.

[James Barber]

The current Labour Southwark Council are introducing garden waste charging -http://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/documents/s80710/Appendix%201D%20-%20Income.pdf

Predicting net income of ?330,000 pa.

See page 7 of this for the ?30 per household for garden waste collections - http://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/documents/s80713/Appendix%201G%20-%20Proposed%20Fees%20and%20Charges%202019-20.pdf

Expect more garden waste fires to avoid this fee. and potentially more fly tipping.

Homes with gardens already typically pay more Council Tax than those without.

I would advise stocking up on garden waste bags ASAP. Expect a run on them and for them to be withdrawn soon.

Also plans for more street advertising, CPZ's, parking in parks, etc.

P.S. The Bulky Waste collection fee is also increasing from ?16 to ?18 - so expect more fly tipping from this as well.

[AylwardS]

The full committee report of which James attached the appendix D can be found at http://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=302&MId=6087&Ver=4

I?ve not read the detail but it appears charges agreed are in Appendix G http://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=302&MId=6087&Ver=4 and it appears they apply from April. Anyone seen a request to pay?

[peckman]

Net income of 330k ? How much does it cost to collect the garden waste? Tbh we use ours a lot as we are avid gardeners . Many people aren't or haven't got the opportunity. Thirty quid a year seems reasonable to me

[peckman]

Although how on earth it is managed will probably offset any 'profit' . At least with current arrangement the bin men know to go to every house rather than try and find the ones that pay . To agree southwark is generally quite good. Used to live in lewisham and going to their tip was a nightmare.

[dc]

As Mr Barber refers to his Liberal Democrat affiliation in a signature and attacks the Labour Council in Southwark, I thought it might be interesting to compare the situation here with that in Liberal Democrat controlled Kingston upon Thames.

They already charge for garden waste collections via a wheelie bin to the tune of ?72 per financial year for a fortnightly service.

They also charge for bulk waste collections: ?35 for up to 4 items and ?55 for between 5 and 8 items.

So let?s not pretend that these decisions are being taken in isolation by Southwark without anything similar (or indeed, twice as expensive) being introduced in other boroughs.

I assume that Mr Barber wouldn?t argue that Kingston upon Thames has become a bonfire-choked, fly-tipped wasteland, akin to his dystopian view of Southwark?s future, since Kingston upon Thames introduced their, relatively exorbitant, charges?

[peckman]

Let's all be honest . The solution is to charge for landfill waste .the more you use the more you pay We all have a responsibility. Of course politically and practically it would never work .

[cella]

Can't see how this is a good decision. Not clear whether this charge is for food waste or just garden waste in bags?

[Penguin68]

Not clear whether this charge is for food waste or just garden waste in bags?

Collecting food waste is a core and statutory duty of the council - such collections are already factored in to the Community charge. I believe it is brown bin garden waste which is referred to, and the council will (I believe) charge separately for the garden waste bags now given free. Presumably if you pay their ransom they will give you a sticker for your bin, or some other identifier. They are starting in 2 weeks time, yet have made no provision or plan for any of this. Nor any real announcement (the information being posted does not come from any communication made direct to residents, but from their tedious and obscure documents). And I note it takes an ex councillor (and not any of the incumbents) to confirm the rumours.

[slarti b]

Whether it is a good decision or not the way it has been (not) communicated is appalling.

On the "Local Councillors" thread James McAsh said yesterday he would get back to me but nothing yet.

[Rockets]

You would expect a local councillor to be aware of such an initiative as it would impact his constituents....wouldn't you?

The fact James B seems to be on top of this more than James M speaks volumes....a stealth tax so stealthy that even the local councillors seem unaware of it....

Additionally aren't you supposed to put food waste in the brown bin, will they refuse to collect it if it has garden waste in it?

[IlonaM]

The lack of communication and planning for something happening in a couple of weeks is appalling.

They don't seem to have thought this through very well -

- We are not all in one family residences, some of us in flats or houses in multiple occupation share our brown bins.

- Brown bins in HMOS are often used for garden work done in the common ways rather than just private gardens

- Where there are privately or social housing rented properties does the landlord pay for the brown bins?

- Where a mix of rented and owner-occupied properties in a building, does each resident apply and pay for own bin (seems bound to clog the streets), share or just use the ones with stickers on? Seems bound for potential neighbour disputes.

Did they even bother to canvas opinions? I had not heard anything before this thread.

[nxjen]

James Barber alerted us that this was in the pipeline in September 2016

https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,336529,1728890#msg-1728890

[Boddle]

Yes, envisaging a pile of unused large brown bins all over! We inherited ours - it was here when we moved in- and can certainly manage our garden waste with the sacks (its only a v small garden!) I'd like to get rid if we were charged But how do you dispose of it?

[nxjen]

The council will take it away if you ask them to