Bin collection day on request at Rossendale Council plan (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Bin collection day on request at Rossendale Council plan

3:51pm Friday 31st August 2012 in News By Chris Adams

HOUSEHOLDS in Rossendale could be made to request some of their own bin collections.

Rossendale Council wants to streamline staff and resources as part of an overhaul of its rubbish, recycling and street cleaning programme.

Under the proposed changes, garden waste collections would only be made between October and March if residents call the council in advance and ask for them.

But Liberal Democrat Councillor Jim Pilling said the plan may be ‘counter-productive’.

He said: “I wouldn’t have thought that taking the collection off its normal route and dragging it to each individual household that requests a collection would help streamline the service.

“At first glance it certainly doesn’t seem like the logical thing to do. Little things like bin collections can be a very important issue and have a massive impact for some people.”

Rossendale Council made national headlines last year when it was forced into a U-turn over a decision to scrap rural bin collections in favour of bin bag collection points.

The latest idea is being considered by the council as it continues to review its services in light of the £1.3million savings it must make in the next two years.

The review says: “The main aims/objectives of this policy are to change the way that garden waste is collected over the winter months by moving from a regular route where all homes with garden waste bins are visited regardless of whether or not they present their bins for collection, to an ‘on demand’ service.

“Set days would be provided for garden waste collections and residents would be able to notify the council if they wanted their garden waste to be collected on that day.”

The council said the move could help to save its environment department between £80,000 and £150,000 alongside other measures.

A questionnaire has been issued to 770 Valley residents for opinions on the issue.