Council's U-turn on plans to shrink size of bins
BBCA council which said it would shrink the size of wheelie bins to try and save money has thrown out the plans after a public outcry.
Last month Kirklees Council revealed proposals to replace grey bins with smaller alternatives - prompting anger from locals and four West Yorkshire MPs.
Council leader Carole Pattison said after the decision: "We listened to residents' feedback and grey bins will remain at their current size."
But she added that the authority also needed a "far wider strategy" to help meet its waste reduction and recycling targets.
Having announced the plans in December's draft Budget, Pattison said the public's views came through "loud and clear".
She added: "People in Kirklees want to do their bit for the environment, but reducing the size of the bins is not the right place to start.
"It's important that we bring people with us. We will look again at how we can make recycling easier for residents and work to make Kirklees cleaner and greener."
Independent councillor Cathy Scott was against the idea and said that reducing around 160,000 grey wheelie bins from 240 litres down to 180 litres would cost taxpayers "a fortune".
Huddersfield MP Harpreet Uppal had also criticised the proposal, calling it a "short-term financial fix" that "could lead to long-term issues". Meanwhile, a petition started by another independent councillor, Paul Moore, calling for a U-turn on the plans was signed by more than 4,500 people.
The Labour-run authority had hoped to save around £500,000 in the first two years with smaller bins, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The idea to slash the bins in size had been part of a package aiming to save £11.4m from the council's budget, with the authority facing a gap of £29.3m in its finances going into 2025/26.
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