Original by Mari Jones & Neil Murphy, Mirror - https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/fury-after-town-introduces-monthl…
The cash-strapped local council has moved from three weekly wheelie bin collections to just once per month
Residents in this British town have vented their frustration after a council introduced MONTHLY bin collections.
Concerned locals says they are unsure how they will cope with the move - which one local politician branded "a step too far."
Some claim they are already struggling with overflowing bins, even with weekly rubbish pickups.
Dismayed residents are already contending with a 5% rise in council tax but now face reduced services for the 'foreseeable future'.
In December, local politicians in Conwy, north Wales, decided to implement the present collections every three weeks for general waste wheelie bins, the Daily Post reported .
But it is now understood their decision at the time infuriated the council’s officers as the cash-strapped local authority wanted to bring in the monthly regime to make savings of close to £400,000.
The council's cabinet was split over the decision, with five members (including one Conservative) voting in favour of the monthly collections, and the rest of Conservative cabinet members voting against.
There are concerns such infrequent collections will see increases in fly-tipping and littering.
But Conwy insist the year-long trial of monthly-bin collections in 10,900 properties was a success throughout the county.
Recycling increased by 14% and black bin waste reduced by 31%, saving 1,040 tonnes from landfill - the equivalent of 87 double decker buses.
Councillors recognised that while most residents in the trial area had taken up the challenge to recycle more and waste less, some people were having problems and more needed to be done to help.
Some of the new measures proposed include a second bin for larger families, free bulky waste collections, mobile recycling ventre services in rural areas, additional collections over Christmas, expansion of the nappy service and special assistance for particular circumstances such as when people miss a collection due to being on holiday.
Council leader Cllr Gareth Jones said: “Time is not on our side, neither locally nor globally. Increasingly, environmental and sustainability needs are changing political and economic policies.
“We are witnessing that – we have an opportunity to play our part in accelerating that change or stalling it.
"The message I want to present and I hope we can accept is that we accelerate our drive towards increasing recycling and reducing residual waste; that we educate ourselves in what that means and how we can help our residents achieve it.”
Cllr Julie Fallon added: “I’m not supportive. I understand that we all need to try to recycle more but I feel we should be working in a positive way with communities to do that. Not enforcing a four weekly collection whilst still increasing Council Tax.”
Aberconwy AM Janet Finch-Saunders blasted today’s decision. She said: “I am absolutely disgusted at this complete disregard for the interests of our residents here in Conwy.
“Families and households struggling with three weekly collections will be rightly concerned as to how they will manage next year.
“The annual council tax rises appear to be returning very little in terms of service for residents, and indeed in this area, there has been a considerable reduction. Council taxpayers facing yet another 5% increase on their bills will not be amused.”