Green waste bin emptying

The Council is set to stick with its decision to end green bin emptying in October each year.

The service now starts again in April.

Green bin 2

A Council report claims that most residents either store up their green waste in winter or take it to one of York’s two civic amenity recycling centres.

The report does not say how much waste was collected in the additional collection arranged in January of this year.

The Council accepts though that some garden waste found its way into grey bins, adding to the Landfill Tax burden that must be funded by Council Taxpayers.

Residents face £35 a year Green Bin Tax

Liberal Democrats have criticised Green Councillors for backing proposals which will see residents charged £35 a year for all garden waste collections.

Cllr Ann Reid and local LibDem candidate Stephen Fenton with green waste

Cllr Ann Reid and local LibDem candidate Stephen Fenton with green waste

As previously reported, Green Party councillors last week supported the ruling Labour Group’s Budget along with former Conservative Cllr Joe Watt. The plans will see a charge introduced for all green bin collections alongside increased car parking rates and cuts to community centres, road repairs and street cleaning.

In 2013, Labour was forced to abandon plans to charge for all green bin collections after 1,700 residents signed a Lib Dem petition and concerns were raised that a blanket charge would see recycling rates tumble.

However, Labour did force through a cut to winter collections and introduced a £35 charge for residents with more than one green bin.

This new charge is the equivalent of a 4% increase in Council Tax for most residents 

The new plans, part of the council’s ‘Re-wiring’ project, will now see a charge for all garden waste collections in 2015/16 with officers recommending a flat £35 fee per bin.

Plans to reduce the frequency of grey bin collections will also be considered as part of the proposals.

Cllr Ann Reid, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Environmental Services, commented:

“It is hugely disappointing that Green councillors supported Labour’s Budget. This decision means further cuts to frontline services, increased fees for car parking and a new charge for all green bin collections.

“Under Labour recycling rates have already fallen and Landfill Tax bills increased to £3.7 million. Making residents pay £35 to recycle their garden waste will do further damage.

“Liberal Democrats worked with residents to defeat these plans in 2013, but Green councillors have now paved the way for a new Green Bin Tax in York as well as the option to reduce grey bin collections.

“The Lib Dem budget proposal was the only one which scrapped these plans. It would also have returned winter green bin collections and increased investment to boost recycling rates.

“The Labour-Green union, which last year blocked a review into the Lendal Bridge trial, has now passed a budget which will see cuts to services and reckless borrowing continue on projects such as the £9million Guildhall Media Hub.

“While I am pleased that Castlegate has been given a short-term reprieve and there is some hope for Yearsley Pool, the Labour-Green budget includes damaging cuts to community centres, road repairs and street cleaning as well as this new Green Bin charge.”

Details of the Green Bin proposals are included in the council’s plans for ‘Place Based Services’ – click here to access a copy

No rubbish collections in York this week

We have had reports that some residents have not yet received their new rubbish collection calendars.

You can access a look up table which gives details of collection arrangements for your postcode by clicking here

There are no scheduled refuse collections this week. Many residents will take advantage of the recycling facilities dotted around the City. Some are already full to overflowing. We have asked for them to be emptied.

Skips are next due to visit west York on 3rd January 2015

Recycling bin at Tesco full on Sunday

Recycling bin at Tesco full on Sunday

 

Bin bag also dumped

Bin bag also dumped

Rubbish dumped on Sunday

Rubbish dumped on Sunday

Full litter bin on local footpath

Full litter bin on local footpath

Waste collection in York over Christmas and the New Year- reminder

grey waste bin

  • All households will get a rubbish collection this week (w/c 15 Dec) so all rubbish bins will be emptied in the run up to Christmas.  Recycling collections will continue as normal.
  • There will be NO rubbish or recycling collections during Christmas week (22 to 26 December)
  • All households will get a rubbish collection the week after Christmas (w/c 29 Dec) so all rubbish bins will be emptied.  Recycling collections will continue as normal. 
  • There will be NO rubbish or recycling collections on Thursday 1 January.  Collection of rubbish missed this day will happen on Saturday 3 January instead. Recycling will be collected on your next scheduled collection day after that
  • Residents who put out their own bins will need to make sure they’re out by 7am, as collection times can vary. If anyone needs to check their collection dates please use the online tool (click)  There is a calendar which can be printed from the ‘results’ page.
  • The Council have agreed to empty green bins on an additional occasion this winter .They will be emptied, on your recyclables day, during the weeks commencing 19th and 26th January 2015 . Christmas trees (real) will also be collected if they are cut up and put inside your green bin.
  • The Hazel Court recycling centre will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day. Its current opening hours are Monday to Saturday 8.30am to 5.00pm Sundays 8.30am to 4.00pm
  • Local skip locations are detailed below  
Skip Programme Click to enlarge

Skip Programme Click to enlarge

Wetherby Road – plans for materials recycling centre

Harewood WhinYorwaste have submitted a planning application to erect a waste transfer and recycling station at Harewood Whin

The station would be used to “bulk up” waste prior to it being transported to the new incinerator being built at Allerton Park

The applicant has agreed to unilaterally revoke earlier planning permissions for the erection of a composting operation in the southern section of the site and the erection of energy from Biomass Plant at the north western edge of the site.

51 objections to the plans have been lodged mainly by residents in the Rufforth area.

Most are concerned about the plants impact on the Green Belt.

The report, which will be considered by the Planning Committee next week, can be read here

NB The site was to have been used as a salvage and recycling centre under plans unveiled in 2011. It would have replaced the Beckfield Lane recycling centre. The Beckfield Lane site was later closed by the new Labour  administration which chose to make no alternative recycling facilities available on the west of York.

New 2014/15 waste and recycling calendars

Recycling wagon

City of York Council is sending households in York a new waste and recycling calendar for 2014/15.

From this week households across the city will start to receive their new calendar which outlines when collections are taking place between December 2014 and November 2015, including collections over the Christmas and New Year period.

The new calendars also provide tips and advice on what items can and can’t be recycled including paper/cardboard, glass, plastic bottles, cans/tins and if applicable garden waste.

The council also recently announced its decision to add a further garden waste collection in January to pick up out of season garden waste – to collect any remaining autumn waste and Christmas trees.

Flats, rural properties and city centre properties serviced by St Nicks recycling team will receive collection information in December. For any queries about the St Nicks recycling service in the city centre please go to http://www.stnicks.org.uk/ or telephone 01904 411821.

Residents are asked to ensure their bins or boxes are presented by 7am on the day of their collection, but no earlier than 7pm the evening before.

For more information on waste and recycling visit please visit www.york.gov.uk/recycling .Or follow on @CYCWaste on Twitter or ‘like’ CYCWaste on Facebook.

Pressure mounting for extra green waste collection

With high temperatures continuing and both hedges and lawns continuing to grow, the York Council has come under increased pressure to make at least one additional green bin emptying visit before Christmas.

Green waste refusebinAll the opposition groups on the Council have written to the responsible Cabinet member (Cllr Merrett) asking for the green bins to be emptied. Labour scrapped the emptying of green bins last year leaving residents without a service between November and March.

An electronic petition is being raised in support of the change

The move is backed by Liberal Democrat Councillors who have issued a statement saying

“We are calling on the Labour Cabinet to organise an additional citywide garden waste collection this month. As was the case last year, Liberal Democrat campaigners have been approached by a number of residents in recent days who are frankly bemused that the last green bin collection of the year will shortly be completed, while leaves are still falling from the trees across York.

“Residents are faced with a choice of burning their garden waste, driving across York to the remaining recycling centres or putting it into their grey waste collection – which will further increase waste sent to landfill and of course increase landfill tax. 

A special garden waste collection is the only sensible option and would show residents that the council is listening to local concerns and determined to take action to reduce landfill tax. 

Cost has been cited as a reason not to act, but given the rising landfill tax costs – it would surely be better for the council to spend the money on collecting the green waste rather than on the additional landfill tax which would result in not collecting the green waste.”

The joint letter from the opposition parties reads:
(more…)

Labour planning new household waste site charges

Reliable sources in West Offices have confirmed that Labour intend to impose new charges – for non recyclable rubbish -taken to sites like Hazel Court.

Bed dumped in field off Askham Lane

Bed dumped in field off Askham Lane

At the moment residents can take items to the “tip” free of charge.

The proposed charge – unlikely to be admitted by Labour until the Westfield by election is out of the way – follow on from the closure of the Beckfield Lane household waste recycling site and an 13% increase in the cost of having up to 10 bulky items removed by the Council.

Bulky waste removal now costs £36.75p

Second green waste bins are now charged for and Labour are understood to be on the on the brink of introducing charges for emptying all green bins

The consequences of these misguided polices are clear to see with fly tipping an increasing problem across the City (see photo)

York Council urged to come clean on Green waste charges

Andrew and Green bin

Westfield Liberal Democrat campaigner Andrew Waller is demanding that Labour-led City of York Council comes clean on whether it plans to introduce charges for green waste collections.

He has sought an assurance that ruling Labour councillors have no plans to introduce a charge covering all green bin collections. At present, residents are charged £35 annually for the collection of a second green bin.

Local Liberal Democrats have highlighted a fall in recycling rates, which has been linked to the scrapping of green waste collections between November and March, and the closure of the well-used Beckfield Lane recycling centre. The tip’s closure in 2012 was ordered by Westfield Labour councillor Dafydd Williams when he was the Cabinet member for Environment.

Andrew Waller commented:

“Local residents are rightly angry that the council spent £13,000 on leaflets and stickers telling them that green bin collections are free, when we already knew that because it’s what we pay our council tax for. It would be an outrage if Labour were to now perform a u-turn and introduce charges for all green bin collection.

“Many people I have met in recent months are fed up with the green bin collections stopping before the leaves fall, especially now that they don’t have the option of going to Beckfield Lane tip. People who swept up leaves in public areas were doing the council and public a service by dealing with them before they became a slip hazard – but now their green bins are full from the end of October until March.

“I am concerned that any new charge brought in would lead to a further increase in fly-tipping, which of course costs money to clean up.

“People will not put up with any more decisions being made behind closed doors and so I am challenging James Alexander’s Cabinet to rule it out now. They have taken a service which was part of York’s strength as a green city, and trashed it.”