City to keep weekly rubbish collections

Jun 6 2007 By David Bell, Birmingham Mail

BIRMINGHAM civic leaders vowed not to get rid of weekly refuse collections in the face of pressure to move to a fortnightly service.

The city council claimed the once-a-week system was the best way to manage refuse and denied it meant less recycling of waste.

About a third of councils have switched to collecting rubbish every other week with a pick-up of recyclable material in between.

The Local Government Association has maintained alternate weekly collection encourages people to recycle more as their non-recyclable rubbish fills up.

But at yesterday's full council meeting, councillors voted in favour of a motion supporting a weekly service.

The motion, tabled by Coun Len Gregory (Con, Billesley), cabinet member for transport and street services, and Adrian Delaney (Con Weoley), said: "This council categorically states its desire that the domestic waste refuse collection in Birmingham will continue to be weekly despite the Government's thinly disguised attempts to force local authorities to move to fortnightly collections."

Council leader Mike Whitby (Con, Harborne) said: "To the people of Birmingham, we guarantee not only to carry out the most comprehensive programme of recycling in this country, but we will get their refuse bins emptied every week because we think it is right. Whatever the Government says, this is what we are doing."

An amendment by Coun Kath Hartley (Lab, Ladywood) to make the strategy more flexible so that in future fortnightly collections could be considered following improvements to recycling provisions in the city was defeated.

Earlier this month the city council also rejected controversial proposals for a "pay-as-you-throw" service. The Government plan would see residents charged according to how much non-recyclable waste they throw away.