Birmingham Conservatives have held a protests demanding the Labour run city council commit to weekly bin collections beyond 2019 ahead of the adoption of a new waste strategy.
The ruling Labour cabinet has repeatedly insisted that weekly household waste collections are here to stay.
But the Conservatives argue the new waste strategy contains two business models, to take effect from January 2019, based on fortnightly or alternate recycling and general waste collections.
The new waste strategy outlines the council’s long term refuse and recycling plans which will take effect when the existing Tyseley Incinerator and waste disposal contract with Veolia ends in January 2019.
It proposes extending the life of the incinerator for at least another 15 years, finding more ways to generate energy from waste and could lead to the creation of a council run recycling facility.
The Conservatives argue that hidden away in the strategy is a proposal to launch the fortnightly collections from 2019.
Conservative group leader Robert Alden said: “The Labour administration has to come clean with residents of Birmingham. Labour are forcing through a cabinet report that clearly states the only two options they recommend for collections are fortnightly refuse collections from 2019 in Birmingham. Labour should come clean with residents and say why they want to scrap weekly refuse collections from 2019.
“The strength of feeling amongst residents is clear the Labour administration must axe their plan for fortnightly refuse collections from 2019 and promise to retain weekly refuse collections for the whole of the next Council four year term.”
Such a proposal would guarantee the weekly service until 2022.
However Labour cabinet member for bins Lisa Trickett said they were just options put forward by consultants which have been dismissed.
Cllr Trickett, clearly frustrated at the Tory challenge, insisted that they are committed to the weekly service - particularly as there are many other changes, such as the modernisation programme which prompted the summer bin strike, to deal with.
“We have been very clear on it that we are not going to bring in alternate weekly collections, but you (the Conservatives) keep on coming back to it. It’s like dealing with a small child who just doesn’t understand ‘No’. I’m not sure what reward system I’ve got to put in place to get you to behave better.”
Cllr Lisa Trickett said that she would only consider changing the weekly collection if there was a significant drop in the amount of household refuse - and even then may switch to weekly recycling in some areas where the tonnage collected justifies it.
