Archive - Thursday, 16 February 2006


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Town raises a stink over dustbin switch

WINCHCOMBE town councillors have expressed concerns about plans to reduce the town's household waste collection from weekly to fortnightly.

Councillors at their meeting earlier this month said they were unhappy with Tewkesbury Borough Council's plans.

Town council clerk Wyn Taylor said: "It may be okay for small families but there was concern that it could get quite smelly. Bigger families will have a problem."

Chris Pike, head of commercial services at Tewkesbury Borough Council, sought to allay some of the town council's fears.

"We intend to stop taking garden waste but we're going to introduce a garden waste collection service at £26 a year and residents will get a brown bin with that. That's likely to be in fairly soon," he said.

The borough also plans to increase recycling collections from fortnightly to weekly and to collect plastic bottles and cardboard in addition to newspapers, glass and cans.

"Then we will move residual waste collection to fortnightly," he added.

Mr Pike said he understood public concern but added that about 100 councils had already reduced collection of rubbish that ends up in landfill to fortnightly.

He said large families of six or more could have two bins but would be expected to manage their waste better.

The council, which has a 21 per cent recycling target in 2006/7 but currently achieves only 14 per cent, may well look at ways of helping people change their habits in the early days of the new scheme.

HOUSEHOLDERS in Chipping Norton and the surrounding areas of West Oxfordshire can apply to have their green waste collected from outside their home every fortnight.

It follows the success of a green waste collection pilot scheme in parts of the district.

Residents have to sign up for the new annual service, which starts in April and costs £30. They will receive a 240-litre wheelie bin and a collection every other week.

Anyone interested in applying to join the scheme can do so online at www.westoxon.gov.uk or by email green.waste@westoxon.gov.uk or telephone 01993 861020.