A DECISION over controversial plans to introduce wheelie bins and fortnightly waste collections in Tendring is to be made at a secret behind-closed-doors meeting.

Tendring Council’s environment boss Michael Talbot wants to move from weekly to fortnightly bin collections for non-recyclable waste next year as part of an extension to the authority’s waste and recycling contract with Veolia.

Without the changes it would cost the council at least £400,000 on top of what it already pays just to renew its contract due to pension changes, increased diesel prices, an increase in the minimum wage and other new regulations.

An online poll of more than 1,200 people earlier this month found Gazette readers are split down the middle over the plans.

But the council said its four-week consultation, to which 483 people responded, found 53 per cent were in favour and 35 per cent were against the plans.

A final decision will be made during a private session of the cabinet on Friday.

The Gazette argued against the decision being made in private and was told an addendum report about the consultation responses will be discussed during the public session, but that the alternative options for the future of the service will not be published.

Mr Talbot said: “Due to the detailed commercial nature of the proposed contract extension, and of enquiries made looking into other options, it is not possible to discuss the commercial or financial aspects of the proposals in public, but I want to be as clear and transparent with the public about these changes as I can be.

“I can confirm that I will be recommending to my cabinet colleagues on Friday that we go ahead with the proposed changes to the waste and recycling contract, which would come into effect in the summer of 2019.

“These plans present real value for money – to continue as we are would mean adding more than £9 to council tax bills just for the waste contract, which currently costs just over £1 per week.

“Under the changes set out, it is an increase of just 50p a year per household.

“Introducing wheelie bins will also reduce the amount of rubbish that gets blown around from insecure black bags, or those which are ripped open by wildlife, making our district cleaner and tidier.

“Food waste will continue to be collected weekly and where wheelie bins really are not suitable then black bag collection will continue.”

Gazette: Wheelie Bins being delivered in Monkwick area of Colchester..Jessica Scott-Boutell with some of the bins.

  • Wheelie bins were introduced in some parts of Colchester last year

Mr Talbot said the benefits of the proposal include bank holiday collections of rubbish and the introduction of a second ‘hit team’ of street cleaners.

He added: “I am aware of concerns over fly-tipping, which the street cleaning contract changes address, and of calls for a second bin for recycling – which I am not supporting on cost grounds, but provision may have to be considered exceptionally for very large families.

“I want to reassure the public that our Environmental team has looked into a whole range of options, and what we are setting out is not only the best in terms of cost, but also in terms of service provided to council tax payers.”

Resident Vic Ward said he agreed with fortnightly collections to cut costs, but that he was against wheelie bins.

He said: “I feel the use of wheelie bins is a bad idea. Like most of the country these will be left outside the front of a lot of properties making the area look even more untidy.

“I think in would be better to continue with our old bins and recycling boxes as normal.”

Labour group leader Ivan Henderson said he was shocked that the decision was being taken in private.

“They can’t say they want to be open and transparent and make the decision in private - they can’t have it both ways,” he said.

“It’s such a big decision to the public that it should be open to public scrutiny.

“I’m calling on them to change this and to make the decision in public.

“This is a Conservative majority administration and I wonder what the difference is between them and their colleagues at Colchester Council who wanted a return to weekly collections.

“They are only going down this road because the Conservatives’ own Government has forced them into this decision by almost completely removing the council’s Revenue Support Grant.”