Reorganisation of Plymouth's rubbish and recycling services on the cards
A major re-organisation of the city’s household rubbish and recycling collection rounds is on the cards as part of the Council’s plan to make its services better and more efficient.
The Council’s Cabinet will be considering a business case for a scheme which will have an impact on every home in the city.
It means many households will have a new collection day. There will also be clear, simple policies consistently applied across the city, so that people are clear about what they can and can’t put out and where they can put their bins or bags.
Other changes being introduced include a charge for delivering replacement bins in line with many other councils. Residents whose bins are lost or damaged will be able to pick up a bin from the depot without incurring the delivery charge. Bags will also be available free of charge from other locations, such as libraries and the Council’s new First Stop Shop. This will make it more convenient for residents and reduce waiting times on delivery.
As part of this re-organisation, a review of the Council's assisted collections will be carried out to make sure that only those who need the service get it. Around 9,000 households – about eight per cent of homes receive an assisted collection, where refuse collectors come onto the property rather than taking bins from the kerb.
The re-organisation is part of the Council’s transformation programme, which is designed to take a comprehensive look at the services it provides to see if there are measures that can be taken to save money, be more efficient and help protect essential services from the impact of Government cuts. The Council is facing a £64.5m shortfall over three years due to cuts to funding and rising demand for services.
The proposals mean the service could save over £900,000 in three years, but more importantly, would lead to a better service for residents and cleaner streets, as a result of clearer rules about bins. The savings that are being made through this re-organisation will mean that more front-line services can be protected. It also means that the city can retain weekly household collections; unlike many places that have moved to fortnightly.
The new routes will lead to savings on fuel, to reduce journey times, running costs as well as gear up the service for the opening of the new waste disposal plant.
Councillor Brian Vincent, Cabinet member for Environment, said: “The Council is facing huge financial pressures due to Government cuts to its budget.
“We remain committed to weekly bin collections and have looked at everything we do to see whether we can do them more efficiently, while making things easier for residents. By changing the routes we can cut down journey times, reduce the risk of missed collections and reduce costs. While this will mean a change in bin day for many households, we’ll make sure everyone is told of the change in plenty of time and will be able to check their new day online.
“Time and again our customers have also told us they would welcome clearer policies on issues such as where their bins should be, who should receive an assisted collection and whether they can put out side waste or not. By introducing and communicating clear policies we will make things easier while reducing costs.
“One area where our costs are currently very high is the number of new bins we deliver around the city, when compared to other areas. At the moment we deliver bins to households that ask for them and often the missing bin turns up later. Introducing a delivery charge will provide a greater incentive for people to do their bit and look after their bins, but still give people the opportunity to get a bin without the delivery charge, if they can collect it.
“We will make sure that once these changes are agreed we will work with residents to implement them, listen to feedback and make sure everyone is aware of what the need to do and when.”
The changes are scheduled for mid-January 2015 after the Christmas and New Year catch-up and will be preceded by a comprehensive campaign to let everyone know the changes.
