The council is sending out a letter and leaflet about the bin collection changes. It ends weekly black bin collection, introduces a charge for the garden waste collection and slaps another bin on your doorstep.

It assumes you will pay whether you like it or not and fails to tell you if you can put your garden waste in your black bin (assuming you can fit it in on a fortnightly collection cycle).

It claims motivation for the changes is about recycling rates; with a good deal of finger wagging. Yet it ignores those who don’t put food in the black bins and recycle everything. Food waste currently goes in… oh yes, the existing green bin. Now, we will all have to find room for another bin in our increasingly cramped outdoor space.

The only cost justification is to point the finger at the national government. However, the real story behind the bin fiasco is that last month, the Liberal Democrats passed their budget. The figures reveal a million pound hole which has opened up because of the mayor’s expensive “on demand bus service” and the introduction of “Boris Bikes” to the High Street. To help meet this budget gap, you and I will have to pay extra.

Labour proposed instead to keep the free green bin collection that residents want by postponing or scrapping the vanity transport projects. At a time of uncertain finances, our financially prudent plans would plug the Lib Dem black hole.

Residents are rightly up in arms about these changes. They are being told they will need to pay twice for a service they already receive, while getting less frequent black bin collections. All this while still paying the highest council tax in the county. Now, that really is rubbish!

  • Matt Turmaine is a Labour councillor for Holywell