Council back down over controversial communal bin scheme
Residents campaigning against the introduction of communal bins in their streets look to have forced a dramatic council u-turn.
Hastings Borough Council planned to introduce the controversial scheme in areas which had previously been deemed unsuitable for the twin bin collection.
Had the local authority got its way, as many as 10,500 homes in 170 roads could have been included in the new scheme.
Residents living in these roads would have had their weekly rubbish collections scrapped in favour of larger bins shared by the entire street - potentially 100 yards from their front doors.
However, after a lengthy consultation process and high-profile opposition from a number of communities, the council looks set to drastically down-scale the scheme.
A report by council officers will recommend to councillors at a meeting next week that communal bins should NOT be implemented across all the areas originally earmarked.
This despite the fact that the council says a large number of the residents who responded to the consultation were actually in favour of the plans.
Of the 10,510 residents asked for their opinions, 1,898 replied. Of these, more than half (58 per cent) supported the scheme, 32 per cent were against it and the rest were undecided.
Key concerns raised by residents including fears over loss of parking, increased fly tipping and the unattractive appearance of the bins.
As well as the consultation material, the council also received 20 petitions containing 1,006 signatures from angry residents.
There were even demonstrations in some areas against the scheme, including one on the West Hill which saw dozens of locals voicing their disgust.
In fact, of the 14 areas being considered, five recorded overwhelming opposition.
Council officers have therefore decided to shelve plans for the widespread introduction and will now urge councillors to approve a smaller trial run.
If given the go-ahead this will take place in the town centre, Central St Leonards and parts of the towns seafront - the areas in which support was strongest.
Nick Perry, the LibDem parliamentary campaigner for Hastings, worked closely with residents in the West Hill to fight the plans. He was delighted with the news, saying: "I was delighted to read the report and to see that the Council has listened to all the local people that have put up posters in their windows, and carried banners against imposing bins in areas of the town where it would have been plain crazy to do so.
"Those of us that have opposed the plans have said all along that this kind of waste management system is perfectly acceptable for large-scale multiple occupancy accommodation, but it would have been a disaster for areas such as Bohemia and the West Hill."
Labour's environment spokesperson Cllr Phil Scott also welcomed the recommendation. He said: "It's clear that a one-size fits all approach of communal bins just won't work.
"Bohemia has clearly said no, the upper parts of the West Hill don't want them, nor does Mount Pleasant.
"Now the council will have to look at other options in those areas so perhaps it should have been more open-minded about alternatives from the start."
A council spokesman said: "This has been one of the most successful consultation exercises that we have carried out, demonstrating the strong levels of feelings among residents.
"Most of the town is now successfully using twin bins to deal with rubbish and recycling, but there are areas of the town where this is just not appropriate. It is these areas where we are exploring the idea of on-street communal bins.
"We can't simply leave people on a weekly black sack collection for a number of reasons. For a start, black sack areas have significantly lower recycling rates than the rest of the town and there are real problems with animals ripping open sacks and litter in the streets.
"The next step is for the members of the cabinet to decide next week which, if any, of the recommendations are implemented."
The cabinet meeting is open to the public and will take place at Hastings Town Hall at 6pm on Monday.
Check www.hastingsobserver.co.uk on Tuesday morning for the verdict.
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Thursday 23 February 2012
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