Should weekly rubbish collections be reinstated in Portishead?

 WEEKLY rubbish collections will not be re-introduced in North Somerset despite Government chiefs promising councils cash to help reinstate the service.

Government minister for communities, Eric Pickles, announced last week a cash pot of £250 million to help councils switch from fortnightly to weekly bin rounds.

Most councils now have weekly recycling collections but the residual rubbish which goes to landfill is collected fortnightly.

Leaders at North Somerset Council have said 'thanks, but no thanks' to the cash grant and said it will continue to collect household rubbish on a fortnightly basis.

They say that if the grant for the weekly collections ran out, the burden would fall on the taxpayer.

The cash strapped authority is already facing making cuts of £47 million over the next four years and has cut £18.6 million from its budgets alone this year.

North Somerset Council executive member for environment, Councillor Pete Bryant, said: "Our recycling rate is now 57 per cent and therefore our system is working well.

"The trouble with accepting Government grants is that they run out and then the burden falls on the council taxpayer.

"Our reply to the offer is, 'Thanks, but no thanks'."

May Gurney took over running the council's waste and recycling services, including the three civic amenity sites in Backwell, Portishead and Weston-super-Mare, in March 2010.

Last summer a new recycling regime was also introduced which saw general household waste collected every fortnight and recycling collections introduced every week.

Contractors carry out waste and recycling collections from 90,000 properties across North Somerset each week.

The new regime - being hailed as North Somerset's recycling revolution - has seen a large increase in the amount of household waste being recycled.

Mr Bryant added: "We already provide a weekly service of recyclables or paper, cardboard, tins, bottles, plastic containers, clothing and food waste.

"Green waste is collected fortnightly as is the remainder of non recyclables.

"May Gurney was awarded the contract in April 2010 and there was initially a number of start up problems followed by severe winter weather conditions.

"Since then the service has been improving well and reputed to be one of the best in the country."

The Government offer is being seen by Conservatives as delivering on a pledge they made in Opposition.

The Government came under fire in June following its Waste Review, when it was revealed councils would not have to bring back weekly bin collections and householders would not be penalised for "minor mistakes" when putting out their bins.

Labour then accused the Government of breaking its pre-election promise to abandon fortnightly bin collections, branding it a "huge missed opportunity".

Unveiling the move before the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, Communities and Local Government Secretary Mr Pickles said he believed every household in England had "a basic right" to have their rubbish collected every week.

"Weekly rubbish collections are the most visible of all frontline services. Our fund will help councils deliver weekly collections and in the process make it easier for families to go green and improve the local environment."

The Weekly Collections Support Scheme is expected to begin from next April.

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