Plans by Cheshire East Council to move to three-weekly black bin collections are “totally unacceptable” a Congleton councillor has said.
People are being urged to register their complaints with Cheshire East Council over concerns that the new reduced service could increase fly-tipping and “unwanted pests”.
The three-weekly general waste collections will coincide with a new weekly food waste scheme being rolled out as part of a national policy introduced under the Tory Government led by Rishi Sunak.
Green food waste caddies have been spotted on doorsteps across the borough over the last few weeks in preparation for the new collections, with dates to be announced later this month.
Town councillor Robert Douglas, who has been a long-standing anti-fly tipping campaigner since the closure of Congleton’s tip in 2021, said the decision to move to three-weekly collections was “totally unacceptable”.
He said: “There must be a better way to manage this so they could avoid three-weekly collections – there is no doubt that it will increase fly-tipping; I am totally against it.”
Coun Douglas said he had attended a full meeting of Cheshire East Council that took place at Jodrell Bank in July and had sat with portfolio holder for environment, sustainability and waste management, Coun David Jefferay while having their lunch.
He said: “That very morning I had collected a stinking pigeon carcass from my lawn that had been shredded by a bird of prey.
“Of course, I double-bagged it and put it in my black bin and I was delighted when it was collected the next day by the bin men.
“I asked (Coun Jefferay) what on earth I would have done if I had to wait three weeks for the bin to be collected! It would have stunk the bin out and there would be a risk of maggots.”
Coun Douglas said he also believed that households with two or more children in nappies, should be given an extra black bin allocation.
“When we have grandchildren who come to stay, we notice our bins become full substantially quicker,” he said.
”This is something that should be taken into consideration.”
Nigel Hancock, who lives in a ground floor flat in Alsager, contacted the “Chronicle” to say he only had enough space for one wheelie bin in front of his home.
He said: “My black bin is frequently full after about 10 days, so if I have to wait three weeks, I will need to find somewhere for that waste to go.”
Mr Hancock explained that he did not have enough space outside his home for a silver recycling bin and that his black bin was often quickly filled with packaging from online deliveries from eBay and Amazon.
“There is literally no room for me to put a silver bin outside, unless I leave it blocking the pavement,” he said.
“When we raised it with Cheshire East, an officer suggested we keep all of the bins at the back of the property, which is ludicrous.
“Many of the residents who live in these flats, including myself, have mobility issues so it’s just not practical.”
While Mr Hancock said he had a friend with a car who was able to help him take items to the charity shop or bin bags to the household waste recycling centre, not everyone was so fortunate.
He said: “People will start fly-tipping rubbish, which they shouldn’t, or leaving bin bags outside their properties, which will attract unwanted pests. I don’t think this idea has been thought out properly.
“If they continue with this idea, it could become a serious public health risk with rubbish lying around outside.”
After phoning the council with his concerns, he said he had been encouraged to raise a formal complaint. Mr Hancock felt other residents should do the same.
He added: “I realise the idea of three-weekly collections is to save money, and that’s not a bad thing, but at what expense?”
