Cash-Strapped Families Will Have to Pay for Replacement Bins

Cash-Strapped Families
Will Have to Pay for Replacement Bins

Families will have to pay out £35 for new and replacement wheelie bins as Cheshire East Council looks to save around £300,000-a-year and reduce wheelie bin delivery costs which are currently around £60,000.

A black bin will cost £35, recycling and garden waste bins will be £30 each, and smaller bins will cost £25. These charges will be payable by anyone wanting an extra bin or anyone who has had their bin stolen.

The council held a consultation with residents and it’s set to be discussed at a meeting. Over 1,800 residents had their say on the charges in a questionnaire.

Some residents are concerned that the charges will increase fly-tipping and others are furious that the cost of bins is not included in the council tax, which increased by almost 5% in April. Others have said they don’t understand how the new system will work and have asked if all new houses would come with a free bin.

In their consultation, the council explained to the public that like most local authorities, it’s had to deal with budget deficits, and in the face of this, and increasing demand for adult and child social care, it had to introduce the charges. It went on to say that reduced funding from central government, rising inflation, and demand for services means that they need to save £70 million over the next 3 years.

The current demand for new and replacement wheelie bins costs the council over £300,000 a year, plus £60,000 delivery costs, which the council say is not sustainable.

Residents are not in favour of the charge, and some councillors have backed them, saying that the council says it wants to encourage recycling but if someone’s recycling bin is damaged or stolen and they can’t afford a new one, then they won’t be able to recycle. They also raised the point that it is unfair to ask someone to pay for a new bin because their old one has been stolen or vandalised by someone else.