1 June (Part 1) - The forthcoming Bin Tax
Bexley council issued a Press Release on Thursday…
From September, food and garden waste will be collected separately from homes
in the London Borough of Bexley.
The current weekly combined food and garden collection (brown bin) will be
replaced with a free weekly food only recycling collection and a chargeable
fortnightly garden waste service. All other refuse and recycling collections
will not change.
Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Environment and Leisure, Cllr Peter Craske said,
“In common with other Council’s [sic] across the country we have to make savings
whilst maintaining vital frontline services such as children and adult social
care. The only way we can continue collecting garden waste from resident’s [sic] homes
is on the basis of this new system. We will continue to provide all of the other
waste and recycling collections.
All residents will receive leaflets in the coming weeks setting out the changes,
and will be able to choose whether or not to use the chargeable garden waste
collection service.
At £33 for a year - with a further discount for signing up before the end of
August - we have ensured that the price for this service is low, and to put it
into context, joining this collection service for a year costs less than a
single tank of petrol and is similar to a family ticket for one show at the
cinema in Bexleyheath.
It is important to note that during the five month consultation period, no
alternative budget proposals were put forward and no area of the Council can be
exempt from the spending reductions we must make.”
Residents will receive their new food only recycling box between 1 September and
4 October. Their old food and garden waste brown bin will be removed when this
is delivered and weekly food collections will then start.
The chargeable garden waste service is available for just £33 a year - or only
£27 for the first year if you sign up before 31 August. Those who sign up
for the service will have their garden waste collected fortnightly in a bigger
brown bin. Residents who choose not to use the service can either home compost
their garden waste, or take it free of charge to one of Bexley’s two reuse and
recycling centres.
Further information on the changes can be found at
www.bexley.gov.uk/foodandgarden from 1 June.
Sign up for the new chargeable
garden service from 1 June by visiting
www.bexley.gov.uk/gws or call 020 8303 7777 and ask for garden waste.
The leaflet to which councillor Craske refers, or something very similar, is
already reaching residents as this extract (†) from recent correspondence reveals.
I have lived in Bexley borough for 46 years and I can say without doubt
the present administration is the most corrupt and deceitful group of
individuals I have encountered in my life.
I am writing to you because I have just received a communication from my ward
councillor advising me about the new system of garden refuse collection. It
contains an explanation from Peter Craske as to why these changes are necessary.
I have known that this was going to happen for some time because
you have been blogging about it for weeks. Craske’s explanation has failed to
convince me that this is other than an increase in council tax that they feel
unable to admit to.
It seems that BIB is the only news outlet willing to expose the truth about the
duplicity and illegality that goes on in this borough.
I am at a loss as to why they get elected though I suspect it could be that
taxpayers in the borough are only interested in paying as little council tax as
possible. The latest ruse to raise money might act as a wakeup call.
Those who keep
an eye on council news via BiB or elsewhere may assume that everyone knows about the
forthcoming bin charges but I suspect it will come as a surprise to most residents. Apathy is king and
the News Shopper does not get everywhere, far from it. My distributor told me last week that he only
delivers to numbers 1, 3 and 5 in my road. He has no idea why but it is what his instructions say. Very odd.
The Bin Tax may not be a tax but it will look that way. The existing system
offers 7,280 litres of waste disposal to everyone without any direct charge. The new one
system provides for 6,000 litres of garden waste for £33. The percentage
increase will vary according to circumstances but my own contribution to
council services will rise by 3·1%. 3·8% if one takes into account the reduced capacity.
Whatever Craske might say it will be seen as a Bin Tax, but look on the bright
side. The last time Batman Craske was allowed to be a Cabinet Member he jacked
up some parking fees very nearly threefold.
† Edited to remove identifying features.