Nick congratulates Council and campaigners as communal bins plans scrapped

11.48.13pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 20th Apr 2009

Bin bags are vulnerable to damage by foxes and seagulls

Nick Perry, the Lib Dem parliamentary campaigner for Hastings & Rye, has welcomed the report from Hastings Borough Council on the recent communal bins consultation.

The report is to be discussed by the Cabinet on Monday 27 April and recommends that the Council does not proceed with the scheme.

Paragraph 16 states, 'The Steering Group has considered the detailed report and supports the view that at this stage the implementation of a communal bin scheme over the whole of the consultation area would not be supported by the community. The partial implementation of the scheme in those areas most supportive of the proposal is, however, considered practicable. More work is required to ensure that this proposal would be financially viable as well as practicable however.'

Nick says, "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.

"I am concerned to read that Hastings Borough Council has a general aim to reduce bagged recycling due to the handling charges from the Conservative County Council. Mixed recycling bags, with increased numbers of recyclates, collected from the doorstep, is the surest way to increase recycling rates in our area.

"I'm afraid that, as with many things in life, you get what you pay for."