Plans to cut waste service 'unacceptable' - MP

A row has broken out after a council told businesses and charities it was scrapping its commercial waste collection service.

Dudley Council, which plans to save £42m to balance its books, has announced that from April companies and traders must pay private firms to take away refuse.

Halesowen MP Alex Ballinger called the move "unacceptable" and demanded any changes be put on hold to give affected businesses and charities, sports clubs, and community enterprises a chance to adjust.

The council said it had reviewed the service following new government waste collection requirements, which meant companies would need separate recycling and food waste collections.

Trish Bradley from charity Crafting for Communities in Halesowen said: "We have limited resources to make alternative arrangements and they aren't easy to find. We've been left in limbo.

"We aren't allowed to dispose of the waste in our household bins, and we can't afford expensive commercial waste providers."

Mr Ballinger said businesses across Halesowen were under "a lot of pressure", and added: "It is unacceptable for Dudley Council to make them find alternative providers so quickly."

The MP stated he had spoken to charities that were worried about higher costs from new waste providers.

He also said fly-tipping was a "huge problem in our community" and was concerned "these changes will result in an increase in fly-tipping".

The council, which is preparing a new budget for the coming financial year, said its current commercial waste service offered waste collections and a limited number of recycling collections.

It was estimated about 30% of its existing customers would have to contract a food waste service from April, cabinet member for the environment Damian Corfield said.

The government's recycling reforms mean businesses with 10 or more full-time staff would need to have separate recycling and food waste collections by the end of March, while smaller firms would need measures in place by March 2027.

Mr Corfield added: "For us to provide this would require significant investment, including on a specialist vehicle, which would spend long periods of time not in use due to limited demand.

"We would also have no certainty about future take-up of the service, so we took the decision to cease it. All customers have been written to."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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